Low temperature synthesis and characterization of Mn3O4 nanoparticles

Heating hydrous manganese (II) hydroxide gel at 85 °C for 12 hours produces Mn3O4 nanoparticles. They were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The particle size estimated from the SEM and X-ray peak broadening is approximately 32 nm, showing them to be nanocrystalline. EPR measurements confirm a typical Mn2+signal with a highly resolved hyperfine structure.