Grain Size Control of the Magnetic Nanoparticles by Solid State Route Modification

The CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized exploiting a co-precipitation method and afterward calcinated at 400 C through two different experimental apparatus: a conventional muffle and rotatory oven. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that nanocrystalline ferrites grew with a face center cubic structure (fcc) and Fd3m symmetry space group. XRD, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements confirmed the compositional homogeneity and the narrow size particle distribution (6-8 nm) of the sample thermally treated in a rotary oven, in all likelihood due to the sample s constant turning movement. The size of the magnetic particles is extremely important and influences the choice of a potential technological application. For this reason, our study emerges as a new and simple innovating procedure to control the size of magnetic nanoparticles. © 2013 ASM International.