Dependence of Néel temperature on the particle size of MnFe2O4

Mn-ferrite nanoparticles having diameter in the range 17-45 nm were synthesized by modified co-precipitation method using metal nitrate solutions. Different concentrations of NaOH were found to affect the growth of particle size. Néel temperature (T_N) was found to increase with increasing particle size. The obtained Néel temperature was higher than that of the bulk. The shift in the Néel temperature is described by the finite size-scaling theory [T_N(d)−T_N(bulk)]/T_N(bulk)=(d/d₀)^−1/v, where d is particle size, v=0.6±0.1 and d₀=1.7±0.1 nm.