Microstructural defects in gamma-Fe2O3 particles

The microstructure of three different types of gamma- Fe2O3 particles were examined using transmission electron microscopy. These included pure gamma- Fe2O3, gamma-Fe2O3 that had been surface modified using Co, and gamma-Fe2O3 that had been doped with Co. The major internal microstructural defects found in the particles in all of the samples were pores and antiphase boundaries. Some particles also had a very high density of dislocations and low-angle boundaries. In general, the particles could be described as single crystals with symmetric cross section. The structure is based on a tetragonal unit cell, and each particle is divided into antiphase domains in which the c axis is oriented at 90 degrees with respect to adjoining domains. The particles often exhibited very irregular shapes. No effect of Co modification was seen on the internal or surface structure of the particles. The Co-doped particles were found to be smaller in size and contained a lower density of internal defects. The effect of the microstructural defects and morphological irregularities in these particles on magnetic behavior is discussed.