The nanometric scale allows an investigation of the Verwey transition: the impact of varying degree of oxidation of Fe cations on this transition was studied by means of zero-field-cooled superconducting quantum interference device measurements in nanometric highly nonstoichiometric particles of pure and Ti-substituted magnetite synthesized using soft chemistry route. It is clearly shown that (i) there is a shift of the transition towards higher temperatures for nanometer scaled compounds and (ii) the amplitude, the temperature, and the order of the transition are only depending on the number of ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}{/\mathrm{F}\mathrm{e}}^{3+}$ pairs in octahedral coordination.

• Received 13 February 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.64.012402