Nanoparticles, bulk and thin films of NiFe 2 O 4 compounds are studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The effect of varying the incident laser power up to 40 mW was studied in all forms of the samples. The spectra showed a large magnitude of red shift and line broadening as a result of high incident laser power. It is shown that the inverse spinel structure remains robust, and no trace of laser-induced oxidation was observed. The low-temperature study of the bulk and nanoparticles has also been carried out for elucidating thermal effects due to the high incident laser power. The rise in temperature for maximum incident laser power of 40 mW was estimated to be ∼625 • C.

High coercivity (9.47 kOe) has been obtained for oleic acid capped chemically synthesized CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles of crystallite size approximately 20 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of spinel phase in these nanoparticles. Thermal annealing at various temperatures increases the particle size and ultimately shows bulk like properties at particle size approximately 56 nm. The nature of bonding of oleic acid with CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles and amount of oleic acid in the sample is determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogrvimetric analysis, respectively. The Raman analysis suggests that the samples are under strain due to capping molecules. Cation distribution in the sample is studied using Mossbauer spectroscopy. Oleic acid concentration dependent studies show that the amount of capping molecules plays an important role in achieving such a high coercivity. On the basis of above observations, it has been proposed that very high coercivity (9.47 kOe) is the result of the magnetic anisotropy, strain, and disorder of the surface spins developed by covalently bonded oleic acid to the surface of CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles.

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