Synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) by combustion with different concentrations of glycine

Abstract Among the wide range of applications of Cobalt Ferrite (CoFe2O4), its usage for the manufacturing of modern electronic devices such as solar panels, capacitors and batteries has been studied' lately. Hence, solar-powered vehicles, which strongly rely their performance on energy efficient electronics, is a sector that could particularly benefit from enhanced applications of such material. In this work, the synthesis of Cobalt Ferrite was studied by means of Solution Combustion Synthesis (SCS) using iron nitrate nonahydrate and cobalt nitrate hexahydrate as precursors, and glycine as fuel. The nitrates were dissolved in distilled water and placed under stirring and heating for 5 minutes; when the temperature reached 60°C, glycine was added; after complete homogenization, the solution was placed in an electric oven (400°C) until complete combustion (approximately 15 minutes). Three syntheses were carried out using different concentrations of fuel: lean, stoichiometric and rich. The product crystallite size and composition were investigated in order to determine the influence of the fuel concentration on the structure of the produced cobalt ferrite.