Preparation and Characterization of ZnO – ZnFe2O4 Nanocomposites

Abstract

AbstractZinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) powders are synthesized using a sol‐gel combustion method. The synthesized powders' crystal structure and microstructure are studied using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation spectroscopy (FTIR), and a field effective scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD studies confirm the presence of nanocrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure for ZnO and spinel phases for ZnFe2O4. The average crystallite size of the powders measured from XRD patterns is 16 nm for ZnO and 10 nm for ZnFe2O4, respectively. The composite samples of (x) ZnO + (1‐x) ZnFe2O4 (where 0 ≤ x≤ 1) are prepared by high energy ball milling and sintered at 900°C in a microwave furnace. The prepared composite samples are characterized using X‐ray diffraction, UV‐visible spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The grain size of all composite samples ranges from 74 to 132 nm. The room temperature complex permittivity (ɛ' & ε″″) of composite samples is measured in the frequency range of 1 MHz–1.8 GHz.