Formation mechanism of monodisperse Ce3+ substituted ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2014-07, Vol.602, p.228-234
• Main Authors: Kuai, Sanke, Nan, Zhaodong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ce3+ substituted zinc ferrite; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Domain effects, magnetization curves, and hysteresis; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of nanostructures; Magnetic property; Magnetization curves, magnetization reversal, hysteresis, barkhausen and related effects; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanoparticle; Physics
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2014.03.049

Monodisperse Ce3+ doped zinc ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MMNPs) were fabricated by a solvothermal route. The Fe2+ formation may be the key step for the fabrication of the ferrite. This mechanism can be used to explain the formation of the unstoichiometric chemical formula of the Zn ferrite. [Display omitted] •Monodisperse Ce3+ doped zinc ferrite MMNPs were fabricated by a solvothermal route.•The formation mechanism for the Ce3+ doped zinc ferrite contains different processes.•Fe2+ formation may be the key step for the fabrication of the ferrite. Monodisperse Ce3+ substituted zinc ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized. α-(Fe, Zn)OOH, α-Fe2O3, CeFeO3, and Ce3+ substituted ZnFe2O4 were synthesized at different intervals based on XRD, IR, XPS, ICP-AES, and HRTEM analysis. The lattice parameters and the average crystallite size for the samples obtained at different reaction intervals increased from 3 to 12h, and decreased from 12 to 24h. A possible mechanism was studied. The formation of Fe2+ may be the key step for the zinc ferrite production. The maximum saturation magnetization of the MNPs among these samples was determined to be 78.6emu/g. The surface area (78.3m2/g) of the MNPs is higher than the clusters aggregated by nanoparticles previously reported in our laboratory. These properties will render the MNPs ideal candidates for various applications.