Magnetic properties of sonochemically synthesized CoCr2O4 nanoparticles

Abstract

Cobalt chromite (CoCr2O4) is a potential multiferroic material. In order to understand the temperature dependent magnetic transitions on particle morphology, here we prepared CoCr2O4 nanoparticles by sonochemical technique. We used powder x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, and ac susceptibility measurement techniques for characterization. The low-temperature magnetic behavior of CoCr2O4 nanoparticles have been investigated in more detail. While the bulk CoCr2O4 exhibits two magnetic transitions viz., Tc≈98 K and Ts≈26 K, the nanoparticles here showed a Tc≈84 K and Ts≈25 K. We tentatively attribute this shift in Tc to finite size effects.