Structural and magnetic properties of starch-coated magnetite nanoparticles

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles are prepared by the coprecipitation method and coated with starch as a surfactant. Their structural and magnetic behaviours are studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectrum, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) as well as with a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles under investigation have an average size of about 14 nm. The coated magnetic nanoparticles exhibit super-paramagnetic behaviours with a blocking temperature of about 170 K and saturation magnetisation ranging between 30 and 50 emu g-1. In addition, the results of FT-IR indicated that interactions between the Fe3O4 particles and starch layers are much improved.