Olatunde, Olalekan C.Ravele, Murendeni P.Yusuf, Tunde LewisOnwudiwe, Damian C.2026-04-222026-04-222025-03Olantunde, O.C., Ravele, M.P., Yusuf, T.L. et al. 2025. 'Microstructural, morphological, and optical properties of Fe2O3 nanoparticles obtained from Fe-MIM MOF', Nano Express, vol. 6, no. 1, art. 015001, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-959X/ad9f86.2632-959X (online)10.1088/2632-959X/ad9f86http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109673DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : All data that support the findings of this study are included within the article (and any supplementary files).This study explores the microstructural, morphological, and optical properties of Fe2O3 nanoparticles synthesized from the pyrolysis of ZIF-8 like Fe-2-methyl imidazole (MIM) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile analysis methods, including the modified Scherrer, Williamson–Hall (W-H), size strain plot, and Halder-Wagner methods, the impact of annealing temperature on the microstructural parameters and crystal defects of the obtained Fe2O3 nanoparticles was investigated. The nanoparticles exhibited high crystallinity and a rhombohedral α-Fe2O3 phase. Morphological analysis through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed distinct structural features, while UV–vis spectroscopy was employed to examine their optical properties. The results indicated that higher annealing temperatures enhance crystallinity, reduce defect density, and improve atomic mobility. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the synthesis-structure–property relationships of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, highlighting their potential applications in applications such as gas sensing and photocatalysis.en© 2025 The Author(s). Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.X-ray diffraction (XRD)Williamson-Hall analysisScherrer plotSize Strain plotHalder-WagnerUV-vis spectroscopyMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs)Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)Article