Fabrication and Magnetic Properties of Fe₃O₄ Nanobranches via a Simple Solvothermal Method

Abstract:

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanobranches were synthesized using an improved solvothermal technique in mixed ethanol and water solvent. Structural and magnetic properties were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction results showed that the sample was single-phase spinel structure. The results of scanning electronic microscopy exhibited that the grains were regular like-branch with sizes from 3 to 6 μm in length and in diameter between 50 and 200 nm. The composition determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy was very close to the stoichiometry of Fe₃O₄. The saturation magnetizations (Ms) at 10 and 300 K of the synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanobranches were much lower than the theoretical values. On one hand, it could be explained by obstructive magnetizing along their non-easy magnetic axes by the shape anisotropy of Fe₃O₄ nanobranches, on the other hand, lesser Ms can also be understood by the existence of antisite defects.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 335-336)
• Pages: 934-939
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.335-336.934
• Online since: September 2011
• Authors: Z. F. Zi, Y. N. Liu, Q.C. Liu, Jian Ming Dai, Yu Ping Sun
• Keywords: Magnetic Property, Magnetite, Nanobranch, Solvothermal

References

[1] F. C. Voogt, T. T. M. Palstra, L. Niesen, O. C. Rogojanu, M. A. James and T. Hibma, Phys. Rev. B 57 (1998) 8107.

[2] I. Zǔtić, J. Fabian and S. D. Sarma, Rev. Mod. Phys. 76 (2004) 323.

[3] D. A. Bazylinski and R. B. Frankel, Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2 (2004) 217.

[4] Y. Yin and A. P. Alivisatos, Nature (London) 437 (2005) 664.

[5] M. Fonin, Y. S. Dedkov, R. Pentcheva, U. RÄudiger and G. GÄuntherodt, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 19 (2007) 315217.

[6] B. Y. Geng, J. Z. Ma, X. W. Liu, Q. B. Du, M. G. Kong and L. D. Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90 (2007) 043120.

[7] P. H. Linh, P. V. Thach, N. A. Tuan, N. C. Thuan, D. H. Manh, N. X. Phuc and L. V. Hong, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 187 (2009) 012069.

DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/187/1/012069

[8] F. Walz, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter. 14 (2002) R285.

[9] G. Bate, in: E. D. Wohlfarth (Ed.), Ferromagnetic Material, North-Holland, Amsterdam, (1980).

[10] M. T. Chang, L. J. Chou, C. H. Hsieh, Y. L. Chueh, Z. L. Wang,Y. Murakami and D. Shindo, Adv. Mater. 19 (2007) 2290.

[11] T. Seckin, S. Vural and S. Köytepe, Polym. Bull. 64 (2010) 115.

[12] S. J. Jang, W. J. Kong and H. Zeng, Phys. Rev. B 76 (2007) 212403.

[13] E. Matijevic, Chem. Mater. 5 (1993) 412.

[14] A. M. Morales and C. M. Lieber, Science 279 (1998) 208.

[15] W. Han, S. Fan, Q. Li and Y. Hu, Science 277 (1997) 1287.

[16] Y. D. Li, Y. Ding and Z. Y. Wang, Adv. Mater. 11 (1999) 847.

[17] A. P. A. Faiyas, E. M. Vinod, J. Joseph, R. Ganesan and R. K. Pandey, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 322 (2010) 400.

[18] R. Massart, IEEE Trans. Magn. 17 (1981) 1247.

[19] P. Tartaj and C. Serna, Chem. Mater. 14 (2002) 4396.

[20] M. I. Mendelson, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 52 (1969) 443.

[21] W. W. Zhou, K. B. Tang, S. Y. Zeng and Y. X. Qi, Nanotechnology 19 (2008) 065602.

[22] D. H. Han, J. P. Wang and H. L. Luo, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 136 (1994) 176.

[23] J. Wang, Q. W. Chan, C. Zeng and B. Y. Hou, Adv. Mater. 16 (2004) 137. Figure captions: Figure 1. XRD pattern of Fe3O4 nanobranches. Inset: crystal structure sketch map of Fe3O4 ferrite composed of tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites. Figure 2. (A) SEM images of Fe3O4 nanobranches; (B) and (C) are higher magnification SEM images; (D) EDS analysis image of Fe3O4 nanobranches. Figure 3. M-H hysteresis loops at 10 and 300 K of Fe3O4 nanobranches. The inset contain the minor loops. Figure 1 Zhenfa Zi et al. Figure 2 Zhenfa Zi et al. Figure 3 Zhenfa Zi et al.

DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.735/fig-9