Synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles using two different oxide sources and their physicochemical characterization

This study reports the comparative synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles using two different oxide sources, oxalic acid and sodium hydroxide, via a simple co-precipitation method. The objective was to investigate how precursor chemistry influences the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles. XRD and TEM analyses confirmed a single-phase cubic spinel structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 19–31 nm. The magnetic saturation (Ms) increased significantly from 0.48 to 3.1 emu/g, demonstrating enhanced magnetic performance compared to similar ferrite systems reported in the literature. Thermal and optical studies revealed strong thermal stability (≤9% weight loss) and band gap energies of 2.56–2.76 eV, indicating potential for magnetic storage, sensing, and photocatalytic applications. The study provides new comparative insight into oxide source effects on CCoFe2O4 nanoparticle formation and offers a low-cost, reproducible synthesis route that advances understanding of structure– property relationships in spinel ferrites. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT