Synthesis of nickel ferrite nanoparticles via chemical co-precipitation method

In this article, an effort is made to synthesize the nickel ferrite nanoparticles via chemical co-precipitation method using the metal nitrates as precursors. The x-ray diffraction pattern of the as-synthesized powder sample indicates the formation of nickel ferrite with iron oxide and other impurity phases. The heat treatment of the as-synthesized powder at 600oC assists in the formation of inverse spinel phase of nickel ferrite accompanying with some fraction of iron oxide phase. The field emission scanning electron microscopy of the heat treated sample reveals the irregular particle size and shape with fine microstructures, while as-synthesized sample shows the lamina like particle morphology. The magnetization curve(M-H curve) of the heat treated sample shows the ferrimagnetic behavior with very small (negligible) values ofremanent magnetization and coercive field. Such type of magnetic characteristic indicates the signature of superparamagnetism (Mr ~ 0, Hc ~ 0) in the heat treated nickel ferrite nanoparticles with significant value of the saturation magnetization (Ms). The superparamagnetic effect in the nickel ferrite particles has great potential in the field of biomedicine for certain applications such as the effective drug delivery, and for enhancing the contrast in case of magnetic resonance imaging. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press.