Influence of intrinsic parameters on the particle size of magnetic spinel nanoparticles synthesized by wet chemical methods

The synthesis of magnetic spinel ferrites at the nanoscale is a field of intense study, because the mesoscopic properties enable their novel applications. Spinel nanoparticles have a promising role because of their extraordinary properties compared with those of micro and macro scale particles. Several colloidal chemical synthetic procedures have been developed to produce monodisperse nanoparticles of spinel ferrites and other materials using sol gel, co-precipitation, hydrothermal, and microemulsion techniques. To improve the synthesis method and conditions, quality and productivity of these nanoparticles, understanding the effect of extrinsic (pH, temperature, and molecular concentration) and intrinsic parameters (site preferences, latent heat, lattice parameters, electronic configuration, and bonding energy) on the particle size during synthesis is crucial. In this review, we discuss the effect of the intrinsic parameters on particle size of spinel ferrites to provide an insight to control their particle size more precisely. (C) 2016 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.