The
authors report on the effect of manganese (Mn) substitution
on the crystal chemistry, morphology, particle size distribution characteristics,
chemical bonding, structure, and magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite
(CoFe
2
O
4
) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by
a simple, cost-effective, and eco-friendly one-pot aqueous hydrothermal
method. Crystal structure analyses indicate that the Mn(II)-substituted
cobalt ferrites, Co
1–
x
Mn
x
Fe
2
O
4
(CMFO,
x
= 0.0–0.5), were crystalline with a cubic inverse spinel
structure (space group
Fd
3
m
). The average crystallite size increases
from 8 to 14 nm with increasing Mn(II) content; the crystal growth
follows an exponential growth function while the lattice parameters
follow Vegard’s law. Chemical bonding analyses made using Raman
spectroscopic studies further confirm the cubic inverse spinel phase.
The relative changes in specific vibrational modes related to octahedral
sites as a function of Mn content suggest a gradual change of measure
of inversion of the ferrite lattice at nanoscale dimensions. Small-angle
X-ray scattering and electron microscopy revealed a narrow particle
size distribution with the spherical shape morphology of the CMFO
NPs. The zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetic measurements
revealed the superparamagnetic behavior of CMFO NPs at room temperature.
The sample with
x
= 0.3 indicates a lower value of
blocking temperature (9.16 K) with the improved (maximum) value of
saturation magnetization. The results and the structure-composition–property
correlation suggest that the economic, eco-friendly hydrothermal approach
can be adopted to process superparamagnetic nanostructured magnetic
materials at a relatively lower temperature for practical electronic
and electromagnetic device applications.