Growth mechanism of octahedral like nickel ferrite crystals prepared by modified hydrothermal method and morphology dependent magnetic performance

Morphology and synergistic effect of constituents are the two important factors that greatly influence the physical and chemical properties of materials. In the present work, we report the enhanced magnetic performance of highly ordered octahedral like NiFe2O4 synthesized via novel multistep hydrothermal approach. SEM, XRD and EDX characterization confirmed an octahedral like morphology of the nickel ferrites. The effects of temperature, hydrazine hydrate, ferric salt and sodium hydroxide on the nickel ferrite were investigated. Results demonstrated the prepared nickel ferrites to be readily regulated in their morphologies from particles to spheres to octahedral by changing experimental conditions. The formation mechanism of octahedral like NiFe2O4 was proposed. The magnetic properties of nickel ferrite crystals can be controlled by changing the morphologies of crystals. The octahedral like nickel ferrite crystals exhibited a better ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, with M-s and H-c values of 34.55 emu/g and 112 Oe respectively.