Magnetic Properties of Fe3O4 Stabilized Zirconia

Doping effects of acidic (pH4) and basic (pH10) Fe₃O₄ on the magnetic properties of ZrO₂ have been reported in this paper. Fe₃O₄ doped zirconia (FZ) sol is synthesized by varying Fe₃O₄ concentrations in the range of 2-10 wt% using sol-gel route. FZ sols are spin coated onto glass substrates and then vacuum annealed at 300 °C for 60 min in the presence of 500 Oe magnetic field. X-ray diffraction results show amorphous behavior at 2 wt% doping in both acidic and basic cases. Mixed monoclinic-tetragonal behavior is observed in acidic films with 6-10 wt% doping concentration. However, tetragonal phase is observed in basic films with 8-10 wt% doping. Soft ferromagnetic behavior is observed in both the acidic and basic doped zirconia. Saturation magnetization (M_s) of ~33 emu/g is observed in acidic FZ samples whereas, variation in M_s (1-36 emu/g) is observed in basic FZ samples. Iron oxide stabilized ZrO₂, with soft ferromagnetic behavior, can be employed for coatings on teeth as well as for diagnosis and therapy of oral cancer.