Uncoated and oleic acid coated ferrimagnetic particles are synthesized. Both samples contain similar magnetite particles. Structural characterization of these particles is performed using x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Average crystallite size of magnetite is 7 nm. Thickness of oleic acid layer on each magnetite particle is 1 nm. The oleic acid coated sample contains 23% oleic acid. Temperature dependence of the zero field cooled susceptibility curve of the uncoated magnetite particles peaks at 120 K. The zero field cooled and the field cooled susceptibility versus temperature curves bifurcate at 195 K. The peak temperature and the bifurcation temperature of the system decrease due to the oleic acid coating. The inverse susceptibility does not vary linearly with temperature in high temperature region. Magnetization versus applied magnetic field data at 250 K are analyzed in different ways to study the interparticle interaction effect on magnetization. We find that the interparticle interactions affect the magnetization process of ferrimagnetic nanoparticles.
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