Study of the Possibility of Using Sol-Gel Technology to Obtain Magnetic Nanoparticles Based on Transition Metal Ferrites

Gels. 2023 Mar 14;9(3):217. doi: 10.3390/gels9030217.

Abstract

The article presents results for the magnetic nanoparticles sol-gel method synthesis of cobalt (II) ferrite and organic-inorganic composite materials based on it. The obtained materials were characterized using X-ray phase analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Scherrer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods. A composite materials formation mechanism is proposed, which includes a gelation stage where transition element cation chelate complexes react with citric acid and subsequently decompose under heating. The fundamental possibility of obtaining an organo-inorganic composite material based on cobalt (II) ferrite and an organic carrier using the presented method has been proved. Composite materials formation is established to lead to a significant (5-9 times) increase in the sample surface area. Materials with a developed surface are formed: the surface area measured by the BET method is 83-143 m2/g. The resulting composite materials have sufficient magnetic properties to be mobile in a magnetic field. Consequently, wide possibilities for polyfunctional materials synthesis open up for various applications in medicine.

Keywords: cobalt (II) ferrite; composite materials; magnetic composites; magnetic nanoparticles; sol–gel method.