Synthesis of superparamagnetic ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle by surfactant assisted hydrothermal method

Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) ultrafine powder was synthesized by hydrothermal method using various amounts of cetyltrymethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. The phase purity, thermal stability, morphology, size and magnetic properties of the final products were studied. All the synthesized products were possessing normal spinel structure without any impurities. The crystalline size of synthesized products decreased with the increasing amounts of surfactant. Particles had narrow size distribution with an average particle size of 6.5 nm for 1.5 g of CTAB. Magnetic characterizations revealed that the synthesized products were superparamagnetic in nature.