Magnetic properties of epsilon iron(III) oxide nanorod arrays functionalized with gold and copper(II) oxide

A sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) - radio frequency (RF)-sputtering approach was adopted to fabricate supported nanocomposites based on the scarcely investigated \u3b5-iron(III) oxide polymorph. In particular, \u3b5-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays were obtained by CVD, and their subsequent functionalization with Au and CuO nanoparticles (NPs) was carried out by RF-sputtering under mild operational conditions. Apart from a multi-technique characterization of material structure, morphology and chemical composition, particular efforts were dedicated to the investigation of their magnetic properties. The pertaining experimental data, discussed in relation to the system chemico-physical characteristics, are directly dependent on the actual chemical composition, as well as on the spatial distribution of Au and CuO nanoparticles. The approach adopted herein can be further implemented to control and tailor different morphologies and phase compositions of iron oxide-based nanomaterials, meeting thus the open requests of a variety of technological utilizations

Exploring the magnetic properties and magnetic coupling in SrFe12O19/Co1-xZnxFe2O4 nanocomposites

Abstract Among hard/soft nanocomposites (NCs), ferrite-based materials are potentially promising for developing exchange-coupled systems, thus leading to enhanced magnetic properties. In this regard, we investigate the role of the synthesis approach in the development of SrFe12O19/CoFe2O4 (SFO/CFO) NCs, with special focus on tuning the magnetic features of the softer phase (CFO) by introducing Zn2+ in the spinel structure. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and squid magnetometry were employed to clarify the relationship between morphology, size, and magnetic properties of the NCs, pointing out the feasibility of this method in obtaining successfully exchange-coupled systems. This work shows how optimizing the intrinsic magnetic properties of the CFO may be used to tune the extrinsic ones of the NCs. Despite the promising results in magnetic coupling, our study clearly confirms/strengthens that an enhancement of remanent magnetization is the most important factor for improving the magnetic performance

Synthesis of BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites using a one-pot technique

Abstract Low-cost and scalable sol–gel chemistry was employed to obtain ferroelectric-ferrimagnetic BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites. In a novel one-pot synthesis method, both the constituent phases of nanocomposites are formed during the same time and symbiotically participate to each other's growth. X-ray powder diffraction evidences the phase purity of the systems, with average crystallite sizes in the order of 20 nm for the BaTiO3 phase. The optimization of the synthesis conditions, precursors, and chemical agents for nanoscale BaTiO3 and BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites is presented, together with the magnetic and/or dielectric properties of the obtained materials. BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites with up to 20% CoFe2O4 volume fractions were found to display ferrimagnetic properties at room temperature akin to those of CoFe2O4, while preserving a dielectric behavior reminiscent of BaTiO3. Preliminary results describing the spin coating of BaTiO3 and BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites as thin films are also reported

Magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite-silica nanocomposites prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion technique

The magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite-silica nanocomposites with different concentrations (15, 30, and 50 wt %) and sizes (7, 16, and 28 nm) of ferrite particles have been studied by static magnetization measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The results indicate a superparamagnetic behavior of the nanoparticles, with weak interactions slightly increasing with the cobalt ferrite content and with the particle size. From high-field Mossbauer spectra at low temperatures, the cationic distribution and the degree of spin canting have been estimated and both parameters are only slightly dependent on the particle size. The magnetic anisotropy constant increases with decreasing particle size, but in contrast to many other systems, the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles are found to have an anisotropy constant that is smaller than the bulk value. This can be explained by the distribution of the cations. The weak dependence of spin canting degree on particle size indicates that the spin canting is not simply a surface phenomenon but also occurs in the interiors of the particles. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics

Magnetic Nanoparticle Systems for Nanomedicine—A Materials Science Perspective

Iron oxide nanoparticles are the basic components of the most promising magneto-responsive systems for nanomedicine, ranging from drug delivery and imaging to hyperthermia cancer treatment, as well as to rapid point-of-care diagnostic systems with magnetic nanoparticles. Advanced synthesis procedures of single- and multi-core iron-oxide nanoparticles with high magnetic moment and well-defined size and shape, being designed to simultaneously fulfill multiple biomedical functionalities, have been thoroughly evaluated. The review summarizes recent results in manufacturing novel magnetic nanoparticle systems, as well as the use of proper characterization methods that are relevant to the magneto-responsive nature, size range, surface chemistry, structuring behavior, and exploitation conditions of magnetic nanosystems. These refer to particle size, size distribution and aggregation characteristics, zeta potential/surface charge, surface coating, functionalization and catalytic activity, morphology (shape, surface area, surface topology, crystallinity), solubility and stability (e.g., solubility in biological fluids, stability on storage), as well as to DC and AC magnetic properties, particle agglomerates formation, and flow behavior under applied magnetic field (magnetorheology)

Hardening of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles by local crystal strain release: implications for rare earth free magnets

In this work, we demonstrate that the reduction of the local internal stress by a low-temperature solvent-mediated thermal treatment is an effective post-treatment tool for magnetic hardening of chemically synthesized nanoparticles. As a case study, we used nonstoichiometric cobalt ferrite particles of an average size of 32(8) nm synthesized by thermal decomposition, which were further subjected to solvent-mediated annealing at variable temperatures between 150 and 320 °C in an inert atmosphere. The postsynthesis treatment produces a 50% increase of the coercive field, without affecting neither the remanence ratio nor the spontaneous magnetization. As a consequence, the energy product and the magnetic energy storage capability, key features for applications as permanent magnets and magnetic hyperthermia, can be increased by ca. 70%. A deep structural, morphological, chemical, and magnetic characterization reveals that the mechanism governing the coercive field improvement is the reduction of the concomitant internal stresses induced by the low-temperature annealing postsynthesis treatment. Furthermore, we show that the medium where the mild annealing process occurs is essential to control the final properties of the nanoparticles because the classical annealing procedure (T > 350 °C) performed on a dried powder does not allow the release of the lattice stress, leading to the reduction of the initial coercive field. The strategy here proposed, therefore, constitutes a method to improve the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, which can be particularly appealing for those materials, as is the case of cobalt ferrite, currently investigated as building blocks for the development of rare-earth free permanent magnets.This work was supported by EU-H2020 AMPHIBIAN Project (Grant no. 720853). A.L.O. acknowledges support from the Universidad Pública de Navarra (Grant no. PJUPNA2020). Open access funding provided by Universidad Pública de Navarra

The influence of heteroatoms on physicochemical properties of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

In the last two decades, cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4, CFO) has attracted extensive attention due to its applicability in data storage, catalysis, energy, environment, and in particular, biomedicine. To further extend applicability and improve understanding of fundamental processes, the present work investigates the influence of heteroatoms on physicochemical properties of CFO. Solvothermal method was used for designing a non-agglomerated particles with uniform morpho-structural properties. The physicochemical properties of Zn2+ and Ga3+ substituted CFO nanoparticles were examined (Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 and CoGaxFe(2-x)O4; x=0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements confirmed the presence of pure cubic spinel phase in all samples, while the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed sphere-like nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 6±1 nm. The amount of adsorbed oleic acid on the surface of the nanoparticles, determined by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis indicates the formation of a complete monolayer of surfactant. The FT-IR analysis substantiated the presence of oleic acid on the surface of the nanoparticles and discovered its covalent bonding to the metal atoms. Substitution of host-atoms was also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Magnetic measurements revealed the influence of heteroatoms on saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy, showing for all the samples superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature. The substitution of Co2+ and Fe3+ ions with Zn2+ and Ga3+, respectively, leads to the change in chemical composition and cationic distribution of CFO and consequently to variation of its magnetic properties.Twenty-second Annual Conference YUCOMAT : August 30 - September 3, Herceg Novi, 202

Magnetic Nanoclusters Increase the Sensitivity of Lateral Flow Immunoassays for Protein Detection: Application to Pneumolysin as a Biomarker for Streptococcus pneumoniae

Lateral flow immunoassays for detecting biomarkers in body fluids are simple, quick, inexpensive point-of-care tests widely used in disease surveillance, such as during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Improvements in sensitivity would increase their utility in healthcare, food safety, and environmental control. Recently, biofunctional magnetic nanoclusters have been used to selectively label target proteins, which allows their detection and quantification with a magneto-inductive sensor. This type of detector is easily integrated with the lateral flow immunoassay format. Pneumolysin is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin and one of the most important protein virulence factors of pneumonia produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is recognized as an important biomarker for diagnosis in urine samples. Pneumonia is the infectious disease that causes the most deaths globally, especially among children under five years and adults over 65 years, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. There especially, a rapid diagnostic urine test for pneumococcal pneumonia with high sensitivity and specificity would be helpful in primary care. In this work, a lateral flow immunoassay with magnetic nanoclusters conjugated to anti-pneumolysin antibodies was combined with two strategies to increase the technique's performance. First, magnetic concentration of the protein before the immunoassay was followed by quantification by means of a mobile telephone camera, and the inductive sensor resulted in detection limits as low as 0.57 ng (telephone camera) and 0.24 ng (inductive sensor) of pneumolysin per milliliter. Second, magnetic relocation of the particles within the test strip after the immunoassay was completed increased the detected signal by 20%. Such results obtained with portable devices are promising when compared to non-portable conventional pneumolysin detection techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The combination and optimization of these approaches would have excellent application in point-of-care biodetection to reduce antibiotic misuse, hospitalizations, and deaths from community-acquired pneumonia

Remanence plots as a probe of spin disorder in magnetic nanoparticles

Remanence magnetization plots (e.g., Henkel or δM plots) have been extensively used as a straightforward way to determine the presence and intensity of dipolar and exchange interactions in assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles or single domain grains. Their evaluation is particularly important in functional materials whose performance is strongly affected by the intensity of interparticle interactions, such as patterned recording media and nanostructured permanent magnets, as well as in applications such as hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging. Here, we demonstrate that δM plots may be misleading when the nanoparticles do not have a homogeneous internal magnetic configuration. Substantial dips in the M plots of γ-FeO nanoparticles isolated by thick SiO shells indicate the presence of demagnetizing interactions, usually identified as dipolar interactions. Our results, however, demonstrate that it is the inhomogeneous spin structure of the nanoparticles, as most clearly evidenced by Mössbauer measurements, that has a pronounced effect on the δM plots, leading to features remarkably similar to those produced by dipolar interactions. X-ray diffraction results combined with magnetic characterization indicate that this inhomogeneity is due to the presence of surface structural (and spin) disorder. Monte Carlo simulations unambiguously corroborate the critical role of the internal magnetic structure in the δM plots. Our findings constitute a cautionary tale on the widespread use of remanence plots to assess interparticle interactions as well as offer new perspectives in the use of Henkel and δM plots to quantify the rather elusive inhomogeneous magnetization states in nanoparticles