Template assisted growth of cobalt ferrite nanowires

Cobalt ferrite nanowires with a diameter of about 30 nm have been prepared inside anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with one end closed nanopores using a vacuum infiltration method. The ferrite phase formation was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of nanowires. SQUID magnetometer measurement showed that the nanowires to have both ferrimagnetic and superparamagnetic characteristics. A model for formation of discontinuous nanowires and particle agglomeration inside the template is discussed to explain these results.