Magnetic Properties of Bi-Magnetic Core/Shell Nanoparticles: The Case of Thin Shells

Bi-magnetic core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized by a two-step high-temperature decomposition method of metal acetylacetonate salts. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of an ultrathin shell (~0.6 nm) of NiO and NiFe2O4 around the magnetically hard 8 nm CoFe2O4 core nanoparticle. Magnetization measurements showed an increase in the coercivity of the single-phase CoFe2O4 seed nanoparticles from ~1.2 T to ~1.5 T and to ~2.0 T for CoFe2O4/NiFe2O4 and CoFe2O4/NiO, respectively. The NiFe2O4 shell also increases the magnetic volume of particles and the dipolar interparticle interactions. In contrast, the NiO shell prevents such interactions and keeps the magnetic volume almost unchanged.