Mössbauer spectra of Fe x O (x>0.95)

The Mössbauer spectra of five samples of Fe _x O with compositions in the range 1.00>x>0.95 have been recorded at 298 K and 4.2 K. The spectrum of Fe _x O at 298 K consists of an asymmetric doublet which was fitted to one Fe²⁺ singlet, two Fe²⁺ doublets and 1 Fe³⁺ singlet. The Mössbauer parameters vary consistently with the increasing density of defects as x decreases. The Mössbauer spectrum of Fe _x O at 4.2 K consists of a large number of unresolved lines. The data were fitted to a series of singlets to enable the rough calculation of quantities relating to the mean Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ environments. The results of the fits to the 298 K spectra are briefly discussed in terms of a physical model for the defect structure of Fe _x O.