Role of the Precursor Composition in the Synthesis of Metal Ferrite Nanoparticles

Ternary oxide nanoparticles have attracted much interest because of their intriguing properties, which are not exhibited by binary oxide nanoparticles. However, the synthesis of ternary oxide nanoparticles is not trivial and requires a fundamental understanding of the complicated precursor chemistry that governs the formation mechanism. Herein, we investigate the role of the chemical composition of precursors in the formation of ternary oxide nanoparticles via a combination of mass spectrometry, electron microscopy with elemental mapping, and thermogravimetric analysis. Mn 2+, Co 2+, and Ni 2+ ions easily form bimetallic-oxo clusters with Fe 3+ ions with a composition of MFe 2 O(oleate) 6 (M = Mn, Co, Ni). The use of clusters as precursors leads to the successful synthesis of monodisperse metal ferrite nanoparticles (MFe 2 O 4 ). On the contrary, zinc- or copper-containing complexes are …