Synthesis and magnetic behavior of spinel FeAl2O4 nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline FeAl2O4 has been synthesized from furnace heating of corresponding iron and aluminium acetylacetonate complexes. The nanoparticles obtained were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), EDX and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particles were faceted with a diameter in the range of 10-20 nm. The magnetic property of the FeAl2O4 nanoparticles was studied for the first time by plotting M vs H hysteresis curves, at different temperature and also by recording the temperature dependence of zero-field-cooled M-ZFC and field-cooled M-FC magnetization curves. On decreasing the temperature to 4 K, the magnetization shows deviation from linear behavior. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.