Title: Polyol-made stoichiometric Co0.2Ni0.3Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles: synthetic optimisation, structural, and microstructural studies

Authors: Hichem Huili; Sophie Nowak; Lotfi Ben Tahar

Addresses: UR11ES30, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Jarzouna 7021, Tunisia ' ITODYS, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS UMR-7086, Paris 75205, France ' UR11ES30, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Jarzouna 7021, Tunisia; Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Campus Universitaire, 2092, El Manar, Tunisia

Abstract: Crystalline and stoichiometric Co0.2Ni0.3Zn0.5Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles were successfully synthesised in polyol medium starting from the low-cost iron (III) chloride and acetates as precursors by the optimisation a number of synthetic parameters. The crystalline structure, the chemical composition, the microstructure, and the thermal stability of the as-produced powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrated that in contrast to the stoichiometric ferrite, which showed excellent thermal stability, the non-stoichiometric ferrites thermally decompose resulting in a stoichiometric ferrite as a major phase and hematite. The degree of deviation from the stoichiometry was calculated on the basis of a proposed decompositional thermal scheme and a quantitative analysis using Rietveld refinement.

Keywords: nanotechnology; stoichiometry; ferrite nanoparticles; polyol; synthetic optimisation; microstructure; crystalline structure; chemical composition; thermal stability; Zn-Ni ferrites; ceramic materials; zinc; nickel.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2015.068884

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2015 Vol.12 No.8/9, pp.631 - 641

Published online: 17 Apr 2015 *

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