Effect of Aluminium Doping on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni-Zn Ferrite Nanoparticles

Abstract

Aluminium doped Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles of general formula of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Al x Fe 2-x O 4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0) have been synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dis-persive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample magneto meter (VSM). XRD studies confirm that all compositions show single phase cubic spinel structure. The crystallite size was calculated using the Debye-Scherrer formula and found in the range of 17 - 52 nm. The lattice parameter “a” is found to decrease with increasing Al³⁺ content. The SEM images clearly show the crystalline structure and EDX patterns confirm the compositional formation of the synthesized compositions. The results of FTIR analysis indicated that the functional groups of Ni-Zn spinel ferrite were formed during the sol-gel synthesis process. The IR spectra showed two main absorption bands, the high frequency band ν₁ around 600 cm -1 and the low frequency band ν₂ around 400 cm -1 arising from tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) interstitial sites in the spinel lattice. As doping is increased the magnetic behavior is found to decrease and the composition x = 2.0 ferrite appears to be exhibiting superparamagnetism as the coercive field and retentivity are found near zero.