The Open Colloid Science Journal

2010, 4 : 12-18
Published online 2010 February 21. DOI: 10.2174/1876530001104010012
Publisher ID: TOCOLLSJ-4-12

The Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt-Rice Husk Silica Nanoparticles

Farook Adam , Jeyashelly Andas and Ismail Ab. Rahman
School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Spherical and needle-like cobalt nanoparticles incorporated on rice husk silica was synthesized by a simple, rapid and eco-friendly sol-gel route at room temperature. This was achieved by direct mixing of 20 wt.% Co2+ with sodium silicate from rice husk under ambient conditions to form RH-20Co. The cobalt was found to be isomorphously substituted in the silica matrix. A good dispersion of cobalt nanoparticles was evidenced from X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of well-dispersed and spherical cobalt nanoparticles with an average particle size of 5.6 nm. The magnetic properties of this material were measured with vibrating magnetometer. The saturation magnetization, Ms and coercive force, Hc was found to be 0.245 emu/g and 304.09 Oe respectively.

Keywords:

Cobalt nanoparticles, spherical, rice husk silica, sol-gel, magnetization.