Influence of annealing temperature on structural and magnetic properties of MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of manganese ferrite were obtained by the impregnation of highly ordered mesoporous MCM-41 silica support. The investigated sample contained 20% wt. Fe. The obtained nanocrystallites were strongly dispersed in silica matrix and their size was about 2 nm. The sample annealing at 500°C led to increase of particle size to about 5 nm. The Mössbauer spectroscopy investigations performed at room temperature show on occurrence of MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticle in superparamagnetic state for the sample annealed in all temperatures. The coexistence of superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic phase was observed at liquid nitrogen temperature. The sample annealed at 400°C and 500°C has bigger manganese ferrite particle and better crystallized structure. One can assign them the discrete hyperfine magnetic field components.