Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation Technique

Abstract : In recent years, significant attention has been devoted to the development of physical, chemical, and biological methods for synthesizing nanomaterials. While chemical methods typically offer faster synthesis rates compared to physical and biological approaches, they are often associated with environmental hazards and lower product purity. Among the physical techniques, laser ablation has emerged as a promising and clean method, wherein high-energy laser pulses are employed to remove material from a solid target. In this work, magnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized via laser ablation in an aqueous medium. A fiber laser operating at a wavelength of 1064 nm was used to irradiate a high-purity (99.99%) iron target. The structural and magnetic characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry(VSM). Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to identify functional groups present in the sample. The XRD pattern confirmed the formation of pure Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, showing full agreement with standard reference data. FESEM analysis revealed spherical nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 23 to 30 nm. Magnetic measurements indicated a saturation magnetization value of 28.32 emu/g, confirming the magnetic nature of the synthesized nanoparticles.