One-Step Synthesis of Long Term Stable Superparamagnetic Colloid of Zinc Ferrite Nanorods in Water.

Angelika Kmita,Marcin Sikora,Wojciech Szczerba,Szczepan Zapotoczny,Dorota Lachowicz,Marta Gajewska,Jan Żukrowski,Juliusz Kuciakowski

doi:10.3390/ma12071048

Angelika Kmita, Marcin Sikora + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12071048

Copy DOI

Journal: Materials	Publication Date: Mar 29, 2019
Citations: 28	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: AGH University of Krakow, Jagiellonian University

Abstract

Synthesis of spinel zinc ferrite ultrafine needle-like particles that exhibit exceptional stability in aqueous dispersion (without any surfactants) and superparamagnetic response is reported. Comprehensive structural and magnetic characterization of the particles is performed using X-ray and electron diffraction, small angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, vibrating sample magnetometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. It reveals nearly stoichiometric ZnFe2O4 nanorods with mixed spinel structure and unimodal size distribution of mean length of 20 nm and diameter of 5 nm. Measurements performed in aqueous and dried form shows that particles’ properties are significantly changed as a result of drying.

Highlights

In this paper we report on the properties of the stable colloid formed by nanorods of zinc ferrite diluted in water, obtained as a result of single stage green reaction, namely co-precipitation from aqueous salt solution in an alkaline medium
The crystalline structure and composition of the zinc ferrite nanorods were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD)
The mean particle size estimated using the Scherrer equation applied to the analysis of the highest intensity diffraction peak, namely the (113) reflection, was 14 nm

Summary

Introduction

One dimensional (1D) nanostructures e.g., nanowires, nanobelts, nanotubes and nanorods have been widely investigated due to their unusual electrical and optical properties, magnetism and mechanical properties that make them suitable for application in sensors, catalysis, drug delivery, hyperthermia, medical diagnostics or photoelectrochemical water splitting [6,7,8]. In most of these applications, the higher the active surface to volume ratio, the better efficiency of the process, provided that the material is well dispersed in the carrying medium

Methods

Results

Conclusion