This work is devoted to the synthesis and the study of the physical properties of cobalt ferrite nanomaterials. Thecobalt ferrite nanopowders (CoxFe3-xO4 , x=0.6,1,1.2,1.8 ) were synthesized by a new solvo thermal chemical route.The nanopowders are highly crystallized, very homogeneous in size and chemical composition. The nanopowderssizes are ranged from 4 nm for high cobalt content to 7 nm for low cobalt content. They are single phased, with thespinel structure, and a cell parameter varying with the cobalt content. The cobalt ferrites do not oxidize, when heatedunder air. For compositions near x=1, the cobalt ferrites are stable when heated under air up to 900°C, as for the othercompositions, phase transformations occur above 550°C.The catalytic measurements have shown the oxidation of CH4 into CO2 in presence of the catalyst for all thecompositions. Cobalt ferrite with composition x=1.8, presents the lowest activation energy and the best catalyticefficiency; this can be related to the great specific surface and the high rate of active sites for this composition.Concerning the conduction properties, the cobalt ferrites exhibit a semiconductor character up to 500-600 ° C and ametallic one above. Changes in conductivity from a composition to another are explained by changes in the number ofpairs [Co2+, Fe3+].A superparamagnetic behaviour was evidenced whatever the composition. This is due for one part to a size and shapeeffect and for the other part to different cationic distribution between tetrahedral and octahedral sites. These ferriteshave a saturation magnetization close to that of the massive state, because of the high crystallinity of the nanopowders,attributed to the synthesis method developed in this work.
