Abstract: For the development of Fe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>-doped nickel-based catalysts to be used in biomass gasification,nano-sized Fe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> were prepared by homogeneous precipitation method with ferric nitrate [Fe (NO<SUB>3</SUB>)<SUB>3</SUB>·9H<SUB>2</SUB>O] as raw material and with urea as precipitator.Different approaches,such as XRD and SEM,were used to characterize the products.Meanwhile,effects of various technical parameters in preparation process on the yield of products were investigated,and optimal conditions were found for preparing nano-sized Fe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>,which were as follows:molar ratio of urea to Fe(NO<SUB>3</SUB>)<SUB>3</SUB>·9H<SUB>2</SUB>O was 5∶1,temperature of precipitation reaction was 125 ℃,concentra-tion of iron salt was 0.20 mol/L.The nanoparticles prepared under the optimal conditions were spherical in shape and well dispersed;they had high purity and a fine crystal phase of cubic syngony with a mean particle size of about 28 nm．