Synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles using combustion waves

Nanocrystalline particles of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) were prepared by a combustion wave method, based on the Self-propagating High temperature Synthesis technique (SHS), using iron nitrate, Fe(NO3)(3).9H(2)O, cobalt nitrate, Co(NO3)(2).6H(2)O, and glycine, C2H5NO2. The average particle size, determined by means of X-ray diffraction, was found to depend on the glycine-nitrate ratio and varied between 2.7 and 17 nm. By measuring at several temperatures the relative intensity of the Mossbauer spectra due to superparamagnetic particles and to ferrimagnetic particles, we determined the size distribution of the nanoparticles in one of the samples. It was found to be a log-normal distribution with a most probable diameter D-m = 1.8 run and a full width at half-height Delta D = 2.6 nm. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.