PEG/CaFe2O4 nanocomposite: Structural, morphological, magnetic and thermal analyses

Abstract

The coating of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) on calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) nanoparticles has been reported in the present study. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed the formation of orthorhombic structure of bare CaFe2O4 nanoparticles, which was also retained after the PEG coating, along with additional characteristic peaks of PEG at 19° and 23°. The rings of CaFe2O4 nanoparticles were identified by the selected area electron diffraction pattern. The characteristic bands of PEG as observed in its Fourier transform infrared spectrum were also present in PEG coated CaFe2O4 nanoparticles, hence confirming its presence. In the thermal gravimetric studies, the complete thermal decomposition of PEG occurred in a one step process, but in case of PEG coated CaFe2O4 nanoparticles, the decomposition took place at a higher temperature owing to the formation of covalent bonds of PEG with CaFe2O4 nanoparticles. The presence of PEG on CaFe2O4 nanoparticles, spherical formation of PEG coated CaFe2O4 nanoparticles and reduced agglomeration in the CaFe2O4 nanoparticles were revealed by high resolution transmission electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope studies, respectively. In vibrating sample magnetometer analysis, both bare as well as coated CaFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behavior. However, a drop in the magnetic saturation value was observed from 36.76emu/g for CaFe2O4 nanoparticles to 6.74emu/g for PEG coated CaFe2O4 nanoparticles, due to the formation of magnetically dead layer of PEG. In ZFC and FC analyses, superparamagnetic behavior with blocking temperature for bare and coated nanoparticles has been observed at ∼40K and ∼60K, respectively. The increase in the blocking temperature is attributed to the increase in the particle size after PEG coating.