Magnetite (Fe
3
O
4
) nanoparticles (NPs) and SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles have successfully been synthesized using co-precipitation and modified Stöber methods, respectively. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). XRD and FTIR data confirmed the structural configuration of a single-phase Fe
3
O
4
and the successful formation of SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
NPs. XRD also confirmed that we have succeeded to synthesize nano-meter size of Fe
3
O
4
NPs. HRTEM images showed the increasing thickness of SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
with the addition of the Tetraethyl Orthosilicate (TEOS). Room temperature VSM analysis showed the magnetic behaviour of Fe
3
O
4
and its variations that occurred after SiO
2
coating. The magnetic behaviour is further authenticated by XAS spectra analysis which cleared about the existence of SiO
2
shells that have transformed the crystal as well as the local structures of the magnetite NPs. We have performed XMCD measurements, which is a powerful element-specific technique to find out the origin of magnetization in SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
NPs, that verified a decrease in magnetization with increasing thickness of the SiO
2
coating.
Graphical Abstract
Magnetite (Fe
3
O
4
) nanoparticles (NPs) and SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles have successfully been synthesized using co-precipitation and modified Stöber methods, respectively. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). XRD and FTIR data confirmed the structural configuration of a single-phase Fe
3
O
4
and the successful formation of SiO
2
-coated Fe
3
O
4
NPs. XRD also confirmed that we have succeeded to sy...