Synthesis, Characterization and Magnetic Properties of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles Prepared by Glycine Assisted Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Technique

Abstract

Nano-particles of (38 nm size) cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion technique using high purity metal nitrates and glycine as a fuel. The characterization studies were conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The analysis of X-ray diffraction pattern suggests that, the prepared CoFe2O4 spinel ferrite possess single phase cubic spinel structure. The most intense peak (311) of the XRD pattern was used to determine the crystallite size. lattice constant and X-ray density were calculated by using XRD data. The values of lattice constant and X-ray density are found to in the reported range but slightly higher as compared to bulk CoFe2O4 sample. The surface morphology of the CoFe2O4samples was examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The result of SEM analysis shows that grain size is of the order of 62 nm. The CoFe2O4 nano-particle exhibit ferromagnetic behavior having saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) values in the range of 83 emu/gm and 1381 Oe respectively. The high values of saturation magnetization and coercivity gives the evidence of nanocrystalline nature of the prepared CoFe2O4 spinel ferrite.