Properties of Ferrofluid Nanoparticles Prepared by Coprecipitation and Acid Treatment

A new stable acid water-based CoFe₂O₄ ferrofluid is prepared by coprecipitation and acid treatment. The properties of the nanoparticles forming the ferrofluid are examined by means of X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, scanning tunneling microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and annihilation technique. The results show that the particles are cubic CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, which have an average diameter of 12.2nm and are coated with a low density porous amorphous layer. The CoFe₂O₄ particles in an acid aqueous medium exist in two kinds of forms, one is a single spherical particle and another is an aggregation of several spherical particles.