Perovskite-type polycrystalline La1∕3Sr2∕3FeO3 particles with different sizes (80–2000nm) were prepared using a simple sol-gel technique. In samples of nanoparticles with a diameter of less than 300nm, weak ferromagnetism was observed at room temperature, which was attributed to the lattice distortion. The magnetic and specific heat measurements suggest that the charge ordering state was largely suppressed due to the lowering of the particle size, but the charge ordering temperature remained unaffected.

Well-aligned Ca3Co2O6 nanorods (∼300nm in length and ∼40nm in diameter) on Si substrates are prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The steplike magnetization feature as identified in bulk Ca3Co2O6 can be retained in the nanorods in spite of the enhanced distortion of the magnetically ordered spin chains due to the finite size effect. The out-of-plane magnetization value is slightly larger than the in-plane value, which shows the small magnetic anisotropy. An additional distinct transition at 54K associated with the spin frustration is revealed, different from the bulk samples.