Synthesis optimization of Zn-Mn ferrites for magnetic fluid aplications

• Main Author: Horta, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.04.2020
• Subjects: Physics - Materials Science
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2004.07006

Mn-Zn ferrite nanoparticles have been subject of increasing research due to their desired properties for a wide range of applications. These properties include nanometer particle size control, tunable magnetic properties and low toxicity, providing these ferrites with the necessary requirements for cancer treatment via magnetic hyperthermia. During this master thesis, powders of Mn1-xZnxFe2O4 (x=0; 0.5; 0.8; 1) were synthesized via the sol-gel autocombustion and hydrothermal methods, aiming to optimize their structural and magnetic properties for further application in a ferrofluid. Samples were characterized by XRD, SQUID, SEM, TEM and magnetic induction heating (MIH) techniques. The XRD diffractograms of hydrothermally produced samples present spinel crystal structure with high single-phase percentage (>88%). Rietveld refinement and Williamson-Hall analysis reveal a decrease of lattice constant and crystallite size with increase of Zn/Mn ratio. TEM images reveal narrow particle size distributions and decrease of the mean particle size with increase of Zn/Mn. SQUID results show that the increase of Zn results in a decrease of saturation magnetization and remnant magnetization. More noticeably, the M(T) curves present a shift in the samples magnetic ordering temperature towards lower temperatures with the increase of Zn content, from ~556 to ~284 K. The MIH experiment also unveil a decrease in the heating rate with the increase of Zn. Nanocrystals of Mn-Zn ferrite produced by hydrothermal method present better crystallinity and magnetic properties than the sol-gel auto-combustion samples. The hydrothermally synthesized samples revealed dependence of its structural and magnetic properties with Mn/Zn ratio.The magnetic ordering temperature of these ferrites can be used as a self-controlled mechanism of heating, raising these ferrites to a class of smart materials.