Large scale solvothermal synthesis and a strategy to obtain stable Langmuir–Blodgett film of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

Nearly monodisperse oleic acid coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized in large scale by a simple solvothermal method utilizing N-methyl 2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) as a high boiling solvent. The magnetic oxide was further investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique is discussed to obtain a 2D assembly of oleic acid coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles over a large area. We describe a method to obtain stable, condensed three layers of cadmium arachidate on a piranha treated glass substrate. The hydrophobic surface thus obtained was subsequently used for forming a stable monolayer of oleic acid stabilized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles at the air–water interface. The stability of the LB films at the air–water interface was studied by pressure–area isotherm curves and atomic force microscopy (AFM) cross sectional height profile analysis. 2D organization of the magnetic nanoparticles at different surface pressures was studied by TEM. Preparation of large area LB films of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles is reported for a surface pressure more than 15 mN/m.

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• Large scale, monodisperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles by solvothermal route.
• LB technique to obtain stable film of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles over a large area.
• Hydrophobicity of substrate was enhanced utilizing LB films of cadmium arachidate.
• P–A isotherm and AFM cross sectional height profile analysis confirms stability.
• Large scale organization of nanoparticles for surface pressure higher than 15 mN/m.