Robust SiO2-modified CoFe2O4 hollow nanofibers with flexible room temperature magnetic performance

A range of robust SiO2-modified CoFe2O4 hollow nanofibers with high uniformity and productivity were successfully prepared via polyvinylpyrrolidone-sol assisted electrospinning followed by annealing at a high temperature of 1000 °C, and they were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in detail. It was demonstrated that amorphous SiO2 has a significant influence on not only the surface morphology, microstructure and crystalline size but also the room temperature magnetic performance of the inverse spinel CoFe2O4 nanofibers. The pure CoFe2O4 sample shows a particle chain rod-shape appearance but the SiO2-modified CoFe2O4 sample shows a robust hollow fibrous structure. With increasing SiO2 content, an increase at first and then a decrease in coercivity (Hc) and monotonously a decrease in saturation magnetization (Ms) have been determined in the obtained modified CoFe2O4 hollow nanofibers. A maximum Ms of about 80 emu g−1 and a maximum Hc of about 1477 Oe could be, respectively, acquired from the pure CoFe2O4 nanorods and the modified CoFe2O4 hollow nanofibers with about 14.9% SiO2. The changes in Ms, Hc and the structure evolution mechanism of these SiO2-modified CoFe2O4 hollow nanofibers have been elaborated systematically. Furthermore, it is suggested that amorphous SiO2 enables effectively improving the structure endurance of 1D electrospun inorganic oxide hollow nanostructures being subjected to high temperatures.