Al-doped Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and Their Magnetic Properties

Al-doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized for the first time via the Composite-Hydroxide-Mediated (CHM) method from Fe3O4 and Al2O3 without using any capping agent. The synthesis technique was one-step and cost effective. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). Samples with a tunable size of 500–1500 nm, 200–800 nm, and 100–700 nm could be obtained by adjusting the reaction time and temperature. Magnetic property of the as-synthesized Al-doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles was investigated. Magnetic hysteresis loops measured in the field range of −10 kOe<H<10 kOe, indicated the ferromagnetic behavior with coercivity (Hc) of 470 and 110 Oe and remanence magnetization (Mr) of 13 and 6.4 emu/g at the temperature of 5 and 300 K, respectively. The saturation intensity (Ms) was 46.1 emu/g at 5 K, while it was about 43.6 emu/g at 300 K.