Magnetite/Mn-ferrite nanocomposite with improved magnetic properties

• Novel soft ferrite–soft ferrite nanocomposite, MnFe2O4/Fe3O4, was synthesized.
• The value of saturation magnetization nanocomposite is 27–50% greater than the correspondent value for binary ferrites.
• Coercivity of nanocomosite is half of the value for binary ferrites.

Magnetic nanocomposites can show enhanced properties compared to their single phase counterparts. Novel soft ferrite Fe3O4/soft ferrite MnFe2O4 nanocomposite, as well as pure MnFe2O4 and Fe3O4 for the sake of comparison, were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The spinel type of structure (space group Fd  3¯m) of the samples was confirmed by XRPD and SAED. Samples are composed of spherical particles with size in the range 5–15 nm. Nanocomposite (92 wt%) MnFe2O4/(8 wt%) Fe3O4 exert single phase like magnetic behavior. Saturation magnetization (MS) of Fe3O4/MnFe2O4 is 26% greater than MS of MnFe2O4 and even 50% than MS of Fe3O4. At the same time coercivity field of the nanocomposite is twice less value (HC=180 Oe) than in binary ferrites (HC=360 Oe). Magnetization enhancement and softening in Magnetite/Mn-ferrite is discussed related to particle interactions among two different ferrites and intrinsic properties of nanoparticles. Tailoring phase ratio and synthesis conditions can be a tool for tuning magnetic properties of nanocomposites.

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