Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 29;12(17):2987.
doi: 10.3390/nano12172987.

Microwave-Enhanced Crystalline Properties of Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles

Martin Ochmann  1 , Vlastimil Vrba  1 , Josef Kopp  1 , Tomáš Ingr  1 , Ondřej Malina  2 , Libor Machala  1
Affiliations

Microwave-Enhanced Crystalline Properties of Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles

Martin Ochmann et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Two series of ZnFe2O4 mixed cubic spinel nanoparticles were prepared by a coprecipitation method, where a solution of Fe3+ and Zn2+ was alkalised by a solution of NaOH. While the first series was prepared by a careful mixing of the two solutions, the microwave radiation was used to enhance the reaction in the other series of samples. The effect of the microwave heating on the properties of the prepared particles is investigated. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetometry were employed to prove the cubic structure and superparamagnetic behavior of the samples. The particle size in the range of nanometers was investigated by a transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the N2 adsorption measurements were used to determine the BET area of the samples. The stoichiometry and the chemical purity were proven by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Additionally, the inversion factor was determined using the low temperature Mössbauer spectra in the external magnetic field. The microwave heating had a significant effect on the mean coherent length. On the other hand, it had a lesser influence on the size and BET surface area of the prepared nanoparticles.

Keywords: coprecipitation method; crystal growth; inversion factor; microwave synthesis; zinc ferrite.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
XRD patterns of zinc ferrite nanoparticles prepared with the microwave field turned off (samples RT-30, RT-60 and RT-90) in the 2θ range from 10° to 100°. The data were normalized with respect to the measurement time per step.
Figure 2
Figure 2
XRD patterns of zinc ferrite nanoparticles prepared by the microwave-enhanced approach (samples MW-5, MW-10, MW-20 and MW-30) in the 2θ range from 10° to 100°. The data were normalized with respect to the measurement time per step.
Figure 3
Figure 3
TEM images of measured nanoparticles and their aggregates: (a) RT-60 and (b) RT-90.
Figure 4
Figure 4
TEM images of measured nanoparticles and their aggregates: (a) MW-5, (b) MW-10 and (c) MW-30.
Figure 5
Figure 5
EDS spectra of room temperature synthesized zinc ferrite nanoparticles.
Figure 6
Figure 6
EDS spectra of zinc ferrite nanoparticles prepared by the microwave-enhanced synthesis.
Figure 7
Figure 7
N2 adsorption isotherm of (a) RT samples and (b) MW samples.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Room temperature Mössbauer spectra of MW samples: (a) MW-5 and (b) MW-30.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Low temperature Mössbauer spectra in the external magnetic field of MW samples: (a) MW-5, (b) MW-10, (c) MW-20 and (d) MW-30.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Calculated inversion factor of the MW series samples of zinc ferrite.
Figure 11
Figure 11
ZFC and FC (1000Oe) magnetization curves: (a) 5 K to 300 K range and (b) 5 K to 50 K range. Dotted lines correspond to the Curie–Weiss law curves.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Hysteresis loops recorded at (a) 5 K and (b) 300 K.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Imran Din M., Rafique F., Hussain M.S., Arslan Mehmood H., Waseem S. Recent Developments in the Synthesis and Stability of Metal Ferrite Nanoparticles. Sci. Prog. 2019;102:61–72. doi: 10.1177/0036850419826799. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vasanthi V., Shanmugavani A., Sanjeeviraja C., Kalai Selvan R. Microwave Assisted Combustion Synthesis of CdFe2O4: Magnetic and Electrical Properties. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 2012;324:2100–2107. doi: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2012.02.018. - DOI
    1. Naz K., Khan J.K., Khalid M., Akhtar M.S., Gilani Z.A., Noor ul Huda Khan Asghar H.M., Mersal G.A.M., Ibrahim M.M., Muhammad A., Ashiq M.G.B. Structural, Dielectric, Impedance and Electric Modulus Analysis of Ni Substituted Copper Spinel Ferrites Nanoparticles for Microwave Device Applications. Mater. Chem. Phys. 2022;285:126091. doi: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2022.126091. - DOI
    1. Faraz A., Ahmad N.M. Electrical and Dielectric Characteristics of Magnetic Ceramics of Mn1-xNixFe2O4 Spinel Nanoferrites. Adv. Appl. Ceram. 2012;111:381–388. doi: 10.1179/1743676112Y.0000000013. - DOI
    1. Martinson K.D., Popkov V.I. Two-step combustion synthesis of nanocrystalline Zn1-xMnxFe2O4 (0<=x<=1) spinel ferrites with linear tuning of magnetic parameters. Nanosyst. Phys. Chem. Math. 2021;12:634–640.

LinkOut - more resources