Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-018-4733-5 ORIGINAL PAPER M¨ ossbauer Studies and Magnetic Properties of Cubic CuFe 2 O 4 Nanoparticles Md. Amir 1 · H. Gungunes 2 · Y. Slimani 3 · N. Tashkandi 4 · H. S. El Sayed 4 · F. Aldakheel 4 · M. Sertkol 5 · H. Sozeri 6 · A. Manikandan 7 · I. Ercan 3 · A. Baykal 4 Received: 8 May 2018 / Accepted: 11 May 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract This study reports the preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline spinel powder of cubic copper ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) which have been fabricated via a cost-effective citrate sol–gel approach. The structural and morphological properties of the nanoparticles are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) whereas magnetic properties and M¨ ossbauer analysis were performed using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and M ¨ ossbauer spectra, respectively, and were characterized in detail. The empirical aim of this study is to perceive the transition phase of CuFe 2 O 4 as cubic symmetry which was confirmed by SEM images, and a couple of studies reported on the cubic structure of copper ferrite and discussed the magnetic properties. However, the present study gives the detailed information of the formation of cubic structure and magnetic behavior of the CuFe 2 O 4 cubic structure. X- ray diffraction measurements of resulting NPs show that the grain size of the particles is about 42.08 nm while SEM analysis showed that the particles have cubic nanostructured shapes with non-homogeneous sizes in around 80–100 nm. From 57 Fe, M¨ ossbauer parameters consist of one superparamagnetic doublet and superposition of four sextets. VSM result shows the enhanced superparamagnetic nature of the CuFe 2 O 4 NPs. Keywords CuFe 2 O 4 NPs · Cubic structure · Superparamagnetism · M¨ ossbauer study · Cation distribution 1 Introduction CuFe 2 O 4 NPs are the fascinating versatile material and highly outstanding due to its intrinsic magnetic properties [1]. It is extensively used for a variety of applications such as microwave; electronic devices from low to high permeability including ferrofluids, loading coil, microwave devices, magnetic drug delivery, gas sensor, color imaging, antenna rod, recording head, and high-density information  A. Baykal abaykal@iau.edu.sa 1 Instrument Design and Development Centre (IDDC), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India 2 Department of Physics, Hitit University, 19030 C¸ evre Yolu Bulvarı-C¸ orum, Turkey 3 Department of Biophysics, Institute for Research and Med- ical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia storage; LPG gas sensing; and photocatalytic applications [2–4]. Copper ferrites display phase transition and semicon- ducting property changes that lead to alteration in its geo- metrical structure and electrical switching when annealed at different sintering temperatures [5]. Therefore, CuFe 2 O 4 ferrites exist in two modified symmetries of cubic Fd3m and tetragonal I41/amd at atemperature (T ) > 700 K (427 ◦ C). The symmetry changes were well explained by the 4 Department of Nano-Medicine Research, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia 5 Deanship of Preparatory Year, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Building 450, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia 6 T ¨ UBITAK-UME, National Metrology Institute, P.O. Box 54, 41470 Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey 7 Department of Chemistry, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Bharath University, Chennai, 600073, India