CaFe₂O₄ ferrite nanofibers via Solution Blow Spinning (SBS)

CaFe₂O₄ nanofibers were successfully synthesized via solution blow spinning (SBS), and the influences of heat-treatment on morphological, microstructural, magnetic, and optical properties of the nanofibers were evaluated. In the synthesis process, stoichiometric amounts of iron and calcium nitrates were dissolved in an aqueous solution containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and, after that, hybrid nanofibers (PVP/precursors) were produced by SBS. The hybrid nanofibers were calcined and then subjected to microstructural, morphological, and magnetic characterizations. The results evidenced that the fibers presented the crystalline nature of the single-phase CaFe₂O₄ , with a crystallite size of 32.7 and 34.4 nm for the samples calcined at 800 and 1000 °C, respectively. The CaFe₂O₄ fibers calcined at 600 and 800 °C presented a homogeneous morphology, without beads, and mean diameters of 521 and 427 nm, respectively. The results also revealed nanofibers with low band gaps of approximately 1.98 eV and characteristics of soft magnetic materials. (author)