Structural diversity and applications of spinel ferrite core - Shell nanostructures- A review

Core - shell nanoparticles have immense applications in diverse fields such as medicine, catalysis, optoelectronics, water treatment and sensing. Coating a core particle with a shell material can be advantageous in many ways, some of which are increase in functionality, surface modification, reduction in consumption of precious materials, improved stability and dispersibility. Ferrite core - shell nanoparticles offer added advantage of a magnetic functionality which is valuable in applications such as spintronics, recording devices, hyperthermia etc. Diverse materials such as ferrites, perovskites, silica, titania, noble metals, elemental carbon, alloys and polymers have been coated over ferrite core to increase the functionality. An overview of the structural diversities reported on ferrite core -shell nanoparticles is reviewed in this work. The various synthesis methods used for the preparation of these particles and the resulting applications are also given emphasis in the review.