Rufus Ijeh1*, Samson O. Aisida2, Fabian I. Ezema2
1Department of Physics, University of Delta, Agbor, Nigeria
2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria Nsukka 410001, Nigeria
*Corresponding author’s Email: rufus.ijeh@unidel.edu.ng, doi.org/10.55639/607.02010008
ABSTRACT
Zinc ferrite nanoparticles, capped with chitosan by sol-gel autocombustion were developed in this work. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized using different techniques to confirm the physicochemical properties of the samples. The crystallinity of the samples was confirmed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The obtained crystallite size falls within the nanorange. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the morphology of the samples. The functional groups of the samples were determined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the absorbance of the sample was determined using UV-visible with Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) peak between 250 and 380 nm while the magnetic properties were determined using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). A change from paramagnetic to superparamagnetic nature was observed, making it suitable for biomedical applications. It is noteworthy that the obtained properties are highly enhanced and can be used for biomedical applications.
Keywords:
Sol-gel,
Ferrite materials,
Chitosan,
Nanostructure,
Surface coating