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Synthesis of CoFe2O4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles using a rapid thermal processing furnace with halogen lamps

  • Original Paper: Nano-structured materials (particles, fibers, colloids, composites, etc.)
  • Published:
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Abstract

This work deals with the synthesis of superparamagnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles, via a sol-gel method that uses gelatin as an organic precursor and a rapid thermal processing furnace with halogen lamps as a heat source. TEM, HRTEM, XRD, VSM and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements were performed, at room temperature, to characterize the samples. Nanoparticles with an average size of 5–10 nm and microstrain of the order of 10−4–10−3 were obtained. Magnetic hardening was also observed with increased nanoparticle size, in addition to an increase in the anisotropy constant, which ranged from 1.7 to 4.7·106 erg/cm3. The saturation magnetization decreased with decreasing size due to the formation of a magnetically dead layer on the surface (thickness = 0.6–0.7 nm). The Mössbauer spectra showed an increase in the superparamagnetic phase for samples with smaller nanoparticles and less dispersion.

Highlights

  • The protein sol–gel method using gelatin is a fast and low-cost process for the production of nanoparticulate powders.

  • The use of RTP furnaces in calcination helps to control the energy supplied to the sample.

  • The advantages of using halogen lamps in RTP furnaces are low cost, uniform heating, and good temperature control.

  • In order to have a superparamagnetic material, it is necessary to produce nanoparticles with a size below a critical size.

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Abbreviations

RTP:

rapid thermal processing

RTP-HL:

halogen lamp RTP systems

Sch:

Scherrer’s formula

WHP:

Williamson–Hall plot

SSP:

size–strain plot

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

HRTEM:

high-resolution transmission electron microscopy

VSM:

vibrating-sample magnetometry

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Laboratório de Materiais Avançados at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, to the Laboratório de Medidas Ópticas e Magnéticas at the Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, and to the Laboratório Multiusuário de Microscopia de Alta Resolução at the Universidade Federal de Goiás. We also thank CNPq and CAPES for their financial support.

Conflict of Interest

There are no conflicts of interest. The research that originated this article had financial support from CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) and CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) and has already been commented on and given the due gratitude they demand. The partner laboratories LAMOP (Laboratório de Medidas Ópticas e Magnéticas - UERN), LABMIC (Laboratório Multiusuário de Microscopia de Alta Resolução - UFG) and the Advanced Materials Laboratory - UFC also require only acknowledgments at the end of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Ciência de Materiais, Centro de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici - Bloco 729, Fortaleza, CE, 60.440-554, Brazil

    André de Oliveira Girão Maia, Francisco Gilvane Sampaio Oliveira, Edwalder Silva Teixeira, Igor Frota de Vasconcelos & José Marcos Sasaki

  2. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Mossoró, Rua Raimundo Firmino de Oliveira 400, Conj. Ulrick Graaf, Mossoró, RN, 59.628-330, Brazil

    André de Oliveira Girão Maia

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, FANAT, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Central, Setor II, Mossoró, RN, 59.610-090, Brazil

    Carlos Henrique Nascimento Cordeiro, João Maria Soares & Thomas Dumelow

  4. Departamento de Física, FANAT, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Central, Setor II, Mossoró, RN, 59.610-090, Brazil

    João Maria Soares & Thomas Dumelow

  5. Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Centro de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici - Bloco 729, Fortaleza, CE, 60.440-554, Brazil

    Igor Frota de Vasconcelos

  6. Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici - Bloco 922, Fortaleza, CE, 60.440-900, Brazil

    José Marcos Sasaki

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  1. André de Oliveira Girão Maia
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  2. Francisco Gilvane Sampaio Oliveira
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Correspondence to André de Oliveira Girão Maia.

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Maia, A.d.O.G., Oliveira, F.G.S., Cordeiro, C.H.N. et al. Synthesis of CoFe2O4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles using a rapid thermal processing furnace with halogen lamps. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 99, 527–533 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05589-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05589-9

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