Size and compositionally controlled manganese ferrite nanoparticles with enhanced magnetization

A facile solvothermal approach was used to synthesize stable, superparamagnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles with relatively small sizes (<10 nm) and enhanced magnetic features. Tetraethylene glycol has been used in all the syntheses as a biocompatible and stabilizing agent. By varying the oxidation state of manganese precursor, Mn(acac)2 to Mn(acac)3, different sizes, 8 and 5 nm, of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained respectively, while by tailoring the synthetic conditions iron-rich Mn0.77Fe2.23O4 nanoparticles have been isolated with identical sizes and enhanced saturation magnetization. The magnetization values increased from 58.2 to 68.3 Am2/kg and from 53.3 to 60.2 Am2/kg for the nanoparticles of 8 and 5 nm, respectively. Blocking temperature (T B), ranging from 80 to 180 K, and anisotropy constant (K eff), ranging from 1.5 × 105 to 4.9 × 105 J/m3, were found higher for the iron-rich samples and associated with size and composition effects.