Sol-gel synthesis of Fe-rich cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and influence of pH concentration

Abstract

Fe-rich cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with a chemical formula Co0.9Sm0.05Fe2.05O4 were synthesized through a chemical route viz. sol–gel method. These nanoparticles were obtained from precursor solutions of varying pH concentration ranging from 3 − 9. Structural properties of these synthesized materials were analysed by techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and vibrating sample magnetometer. XRD data reveals the spinel structure for Co0.9Sm0.05Fe2.05O4 irrespective of different concentration of pH. Crystallite size obtained from the XRD ranging from 20 to 32 nm confirmed the nanostructure formation of Co0.9Sm0.05Fe2.05O4. Crystallite size varied with the pH concentration. Synthesized materials were tested for magnetic measurements through vibrating sample magnetometer. It is revealed that the structural and magnetic properties are highly dependent on the pH concentration.