Discipline: Nanoscience or Materials Science
Subcategory: Nanoscience
Session: 4
Room: Forum
Alondra Cartagena Toledo - University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Co-Author(s): Dra. Yarilyn Cedeño Mattei, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Nanotechnology is defined as: science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Cobalt ferrite at the nanoscale has been studied due to its wide range of technological, environmental and biomedical applications, among others. A few synthesis methods that has been used for the nanoparticle synthesis are: coprecipitation, sol-gel, and combustion. Nanometric ferrites can be optimized in the laboratory by manipulating its shape, composition, cationic distribution, and crystal size. The present research presents the synthesis and characterization of Mn2+ substituted cobalt ferrite. Mn2+ were used to substitute Co2+ ions on the spinel structure, as presented on the following chemical formula: MnxCo1-xFe2O4. Mn2+ was selected as a substituting specie based on the similitude between the ionic radius of Co2+ (0.82 Å) and Mn2+ (0.91 Å). For the experiment the coordination number and the magnetic nature of the substituting specie was also considered. The synthesis method performed was the conventional coprecipitation and the atomic fractions, “x”, between 0.0 and 1.0 were evaluated.The superexchage interaction (type of interparticle interaction that allows the magnetic moments in a solid to interact with each other) in the spinel structure will be altered, due to the introduction of foreign atoms. The results of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) confirmed the influence that crystal size, ferrite composition, and lattice distortion have on the magnetic properties of a nanoparticle. XRD results suggest there was no a remarkable crystal growth by increasing the incorporation of Mn ions. The substitution of Co2+ by Mn2+ caused an increment in the cubic lattice parameter, ‘a’, attributed to the slightly larger ionic radius of Mn respect to Co. VSM results show a tailor in coercivity and saturation magnetization. Coercivity values between 18 and 403 Oe, as well as saturation magnetization values ranged between 60-67 emu/g.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Puerto Rico Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation
Faculty Advisor: Dra. Yarilyn Cedeño Mattei, yarilyn.cedeno@upr.edu
Role: The part of the research that I did was the synthesis of Manganese-Substituted Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles.