Structural and optical characteristics of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Abstract

Numerous researchers are fascinated by magnetic spinel ferrites because they are promising candidates for many application fields. The spinel cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) has unique features because it exhibits various redox states, excellent permeability, and superior electrochemical stability. In this study, cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized via sol–gel combustion. The average crystallite size was 43 and 52 nm for lattice parameters of 8.318 and 8.321 Å, respectively. In addition, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were recorded to determine the functional group elements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra were created to analyze the structural properties of CoFe2O4. To calculate the corresponding direct bandgap energies, Kubelka–Munk–Tauc plots were prepared (1.42 and 1.36 eV, respectively). The results show that improved cobalt ferrite may be considered the best electrode material for energy storage applications.

Keywords

• Cobalt ferrite
• X-ray diffraction
• Bandgap energy