Nanostructured spinel ferrites NiFe2O4 and CoFe2O4: influence of cation substitution on crystal structure, surface stability, and magnetic behavior

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jufgnsm.2025.02.01

Abstract

Nanostructured spinel ferrites NiFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 were synthesized via a chemical co-precipitation route under identical conditions to enable a direct comparison of their cation-dependent structure, colloidal stability, and magnetic behavior. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of single-phase cubic spinels with nanoscale crystallites. The broad peaks reflected nanoscale crystallites; however, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed agglomerated nanoparticles with an average particle size of ~100 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed hydrodynamic diameters of 185 nm for CoFe2O4 and 171 nm for NiFe2O4, while the zeta potentials of -29 mV and -37 mV indicated moderate and higher colloidal stability, respectively. Magnetic measurements demonstrated a clear contrast between the two ferrites: CoFe2O4 exhibited higher saturation magnetization (75 emu g-1) and coercivity (860 Oe) than the softer NiFe2O4 (36 emu g-1, 139 Oe). The corresponding squareness ratios of 0.45 and 0.22 supported the transition from hard to soft magnetic behavior with cation substitution. These findings reveal that replacing Ni2+ with Co2+ increases magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetic hardness while slightly lowering colloidal stability, establishing a direct link between cation type, structural order, and magnetic performance in spinel ferrite nanostructures.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials
Volume 58, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 132-142

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History

  • Receive Date: 12 November 2025
  • Revise Date: 02 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 December 2025

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