Structural properties of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles have significant effects on its magnetic behavior. In current study, we thoroughly scrutinized and optimized the structural characteristics of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and the correlation with its magnetic properties as a function of the synthesis parameters using Rietveld structure refinement. Nanoparticles were synthesized using coprecipitation method based on design of experiments and then characterized using X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. Based on response surface methodology studies, we identified the effective factors on the structural and magnetic features. In order to reach maximum magnetization, the cations distribution was optimized, and the pH amount and reaction temperature were identified as the most influential factors. We observed that the initial cation ratio of Co2+/Fe3+ sharply affected the cations distribution which subsequently involved in different structural characteristics and magnetization of nanoparticles. This can be attributed to the hybrid structure formation and magnetic exchange interactions of cations. Finally, the maximum magnetization were achieved at the optimum cations distribution equaled to (Co0.32 Fe0.68)(Co0.70Fe1.30)O4, where the difference between distributed cobalt cations in tetrahedral and octahedral sites was minimum.

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