ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals:: Synthesis and magnetic properties

Ferromagnetic zinc ferrite nanocrystals at ambient temperature were synthesized via the thermal decomposition of metal-surfactant complexes. Characterization measurements including transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed for as-synthesized ZnFe2O4 particles. The sample has a relatively narrow size distribution with an average particle size of 9.8 +/- 0.2 nm and standard deviation of 30%. The as-synthesized zinc ferrite nanocrystals are superparamagnetic at room temperature with a blocking temperature T-B = 68 +/- 2 K and a saturation magnetization M-S = 65.4 emu center dot g(-1) at T = 10 K, which are caused by the change in the inversion degree of the spinel structure. A coercive field of H-C = 102 +/- 5 Oe in the blocked state indicates small particle anisotropy, although evidence of surface spin canting was inferred from magnetization data in the as-synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals. Our results demonstrate that magnetic properties of magnetic particles can be largely modified by just changing particle size, which might be a useful way to design novel magnetic materials.