A novel nanocoralloids CrFeO₃ nanoparticle: synthesis, electrical property and wettability

Nanocrystalline CrFeO₃ with particle size of about 83 nm was directly synthesized by sol–gel auto-combustion method at room temperature. The overall process involves three steps: formation of homogeneous sol; formation of dried gel; and combustion of the dried gel. Experiments revealed that CrFeO₃ dried gel derived from glycine and nitrate sol exhibits self-propagating combustion at room temperature once it is ignited in air. After auto-combustion, the desired nanocrystalline CrFeO₃ was acquired and no further calcination was needed. The auto-combustion was considered as a heat-induced exothermic oxidation–reduction reaction between nitrate ions and carboxyl group. The synthesized powder was characterized by XRD, TG/DTA, IR spectroscopy, SEM and TEM. Nanocrystalline CrFeO₃ was p type semiconducting material. Shapes of the particles are nanocoralloids in nature. The superhydrophilicity of the mixed oxide investigated by wetting experiments, by the sessile drop technique were carried out room temperature in air to determine the surface and interfacial interactions. The I–V characteristic and electrical properties of the nanocrystalline CrFeO₃ were studied.