Size and Phase Purity–Dependent Microstructural and Magnetic Properties of Spinel Ferrite Nanoparticles

Abstract

The urea-assisted combustion pathway was selected to synthesize different spinel ferrite nanoparticles (SFNPs). Synthesized spinel ferrite nanoparticles MFe2O4 (M = Zn, Ni, Cu and Co) were investigated using various techniques likely to be used by XRD, SEM, TEM and VSM to study their structural, morphological and magnetic behaviours. The crystalline sizes of the spinel ferrite nanoparticles were calculated from the major XRD peak (311) which confirms that the prepared spinel powders are in nanoscale (21–55 nm) range. Secondary peaks free XRD spectrum of Cu, and Ni ferrite nanoparticles exhibit pure single-phase cubic spinel structures. Few secondary impurities are observed in Zn and Co ferrite nanoparticles due to the presence of α-Fe2O3. Spherical-shaped nanoparticles have been examined by TEM. Room temperature magnetic measurements of different spinel ferrite nanoparticles suggest that the prepared spinel ferrites exhibit different forms of magnetism that are strongly affected by phase purity and particle size.