Controlled synthesis and properties of β-Fe2O3 nanosystems functionalized with Ag or Pt nanoparticles

β-Fe2O3 nanosystems functionalized with Ag or Pt nanoparticles were synthesized by an innovative two-step procedure, based on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of β-iron(III) oxide matrices and the subsequent radio frequency (RF)-sputtering of metal nanoparticles. The system structure, nano-organization and chemical composition were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron/X-ray excited-Auger electron spectroscopies (XPS/XE-AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). High purity nanomaterials based on the scarcely investigated β-Fe2O3 phase, and functionalized by Ag or Pt nanoparticles with tailored dispersion, were successfully obtained. Preliminary gas sensing experiments towards toxic and flammable analytes were carried out in the temperature range 100–400 °C, highlighting interesting results in the detection of H2, CH3CH2OH, and CH3COCH3. The adopted approach can be further optimized to control the diverse morphologies of iron oxide-based materials meeting the demands of a variety of applications.