Superparamagnetic MnFe2O4 Ferrite by Gel Combustion Synthesis Using TRIS as a Fuel: Influence of Oxidizer to Fuel Ratio

E. A. Chavarriagaa, *, A. A. Loperab, T. B. Wermuthc, S. Arcarod, C. Garcíae, J. Alarcónf, and C. P. Bergmann c

a Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Medellín, Colombia

b Grupo GICEI, Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo, Medellín, Colombia

c Laboratory of Ceramic Materials (LACER), Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

d Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering (PPGCEM), Laboratory of Technical Ceramics (CerTec), Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciuma, Brazil

e Laboratorio de Materiales Cerámicos y Vitreos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín (UNAL), Medellín, Colombia

f University of Valencia, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Burjasot, Valencia, Spain

Correspondence to: *e-mail: edgar.chavarrigami@amigo.edu.co

Received 10 February, 2021

Abstract—Manganese ferrite MnFe2O4 was synthesized by gel combustion synthesis using tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) as a fuel upon variation of oxidizer-to-fuel ratio Ψ and characterized by XRD, Raman spectra, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The measured values of saturation magnetization Ms = 27.70 emu g–1 and coercivity Hc = 86.87 Oe are indicative of superparamagnetiс behavior of synthesized materials. Our results also show that TRIS could be readily used as an alternative fuel to synthesize spinel ferrites through a one-step process of solution combustion synthesis.

Keywords: gel combustion synthesis, solution combustion synthesis, spinel, manganese ferrite, magnetic properties, superparamagnetism

DOI: 10.3103/S1061386221020059