Synthesis and Characterization of Lanthanum Doped Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles Prepared by a Simple Co-Precipitation Method

In this study, spinel ferrite nanoparticles CoFe 2-x La x O 4 (x = 0, 0.025, and 0.05) were successfully synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method using a 5% NaOH solution as the precipitating agent. The physicochemical properties of the materials, annealed at 850 °C for 1 hour, were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM) at room temperature. The average crystallite size, calculated from PXRD, and the particle size, determined by TEM, of the CoFe 2-x La x O 4 samples ranged from 20 to 30 nm and decreased with increasing La 3+ ion doping percentage. The La-doped CoFe 2 O 4 nanomaterials exhibited high coercivity (Hc = 902.00–1045.26 Oe) and high saturation magnetization (Ms = 83.33–65.17 emu·g -1 ), making them ideal for use in magnetic recording materials such as hard drives, magnetic tapes, and the production of permanent magnets.