Mössbauer study in zinc ferrite nanoparticles

ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have been studied by using X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and zero- and in-field Mössbauer spectroscopy. The crystals are found to have a cubic spinel structure with a lattice constant a0=8.43Å. The average size of the particles, determined by transmission electron microscopy, is 8.8 nm. The cation distribution of the sample is (Zn0.39Fe0.61)A[Zn0.61Fe1.39]BO4, and the average canting angles at the A and B sites at liquid helium temperature are 0° and 29°, respectively.