Effect of size, composition, and morphology on magnetic performance: First-order reversal curves evaluation of iron oxide nanoparticles

© 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are employed in a broad range of applications that demand detailed magnetic characterization for superior performance, e.g., in drug delivery or cancer treatment. Magnetic hysteresis measurements provide information on saturation magnetization and coercive force for bulk material but can be equivocal for particles having a broad size distribution. Here, first-order reversal curves (FORCs) are used to evaluate the effective magnetic particle size and interaction between equally sized magnetic iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles with three different morphologies: (i) pure Fe2O3, (ii) Janus-like, and (iii) core/shell Fe2O3/SiO2synthesized using flame technology. By characterizing the distribution in coercive force and interaction field from the FORC diagrams, we find that the presence of SiO2in the core/shell structures significantly reduces the average coercive force in comparison to the Janus-like Fe2O3/SiO2and pure Fe2O3particles. This is attributed to the reduction in the dipolar interaction between particles, which in turn reduces the effective magnetic particle size. Hence, FORC analysis allows for a finer distinction between equally sized Fe2O3particles with similar magnetic hysteresis curves that can significantly influence the final nanoparticle performance.