Observation of octahedral cation coordination on the {111} surfaces of iron oxide nanoparticles.

High-resolution (scanning) transmission electron micrographs taken on both aberration corrected and uncorrected microscopes, and indirect reconstructed images of mixed phase magnetite—maghemite nanoparticles all show the presence of {111} facets that terminate with enhanced contrast. This enhanced contrast is shown to be a real effect caused by the presence of additional octahedrally coordinated iron cations occupying the {111} terminating layers of these nanoparticle surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]