On the Correlation between Nanoscale Structure and Magnetic Properties in Ordered Mesoporous Cobalt Ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) Thin Films

Abstract

In this work, we report the synthesis of periodic nanoporous cobalt ferrite (CFO) that exhibits tunable room temperature ferrimagnetism. The porous cubic CFO frameworks are fabricated by coassembly of inorganic precursors with a large amphiphilic diblock copolymer, referred to as KLE. The inverse spinel framework boasts an ordered open network of pores averaging 14 nm in diameter. The domain sizes of the crystallites are tunable from 6 to 15 nm, a control which comes at little cost to the ordering of the mesostructure. Increases in crystalline domain size directly correlate with increases in room temperature coercivity. In addition, these materials show a strong preference for out-of-plane oriented magnetization, which is unique in a thin film system. The preference is explained by in-plane tensile strain, combined with relaxation of the out-of-plane strain through flexing of the mesopores. It is envisioned that the pores of this ferrimagnet could facilitate the formation of a diverse range of exchange coupled composite materials.