The effect of simultaneous addition of ethylene glycol and agarose on the structural and magnetic properties of CoFe_2O_4 nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion method

摘要

In this study, cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel sol-gel auto-combustion in the simultaneous presence of ethylene glycol and agarose as complexing agents, and their effects on the structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of this ferrite were investigated. All synthesized nanoparticles were structurally and morphologically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods. The results confirmed that the single-phase spinel CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained. Analysis of the XRD patterns was carried out by Rietveld refinement technique to estimate the particle size, lattice parameter, and the cation distribution between the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. The Rietveld refinement data revealed that the simultaneous presence of ethylene glycol and agarose reduced the average size of crystallites. Moreover, FE-SEM micrographs showed that the agglomeration of the nanoparticles was reduced by the addition of these agents. Magnetic characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results revealed that the saturation magnetization and coercivity could simultaneously be increased by the proper addition of ethylene glycol and agarose, so that these magnetic properties can be used to design magnetic coding and sensing devices.