Effect of Cd2+ Substitution on Structural–Magnetic and Dielectric Properties of Ni–Cu–Zn Spinel Ferrite Nanomaterials by Sol–Gel

Abstract

CdxNi0.5−xCu0.2Zn0.3Fe2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) ferrite with a spinel structure was prepared using the sol–gel self-propagation method. The effects of Cd2+ doping on the structure, morphology, dielectric, and magnetic properties of Ni–Cu–Zn ferrite were examined using XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, MPMS, and dielectric tests. The cubic spinel structure was verified by XRD and FTIR analyses. The crystallite size and particle size information of the samples were obtained with XRD and SEM analysis. The sample particle size belonged to a class of nanoscale materials with a particle size range of 1–100 nm. The minor difference between the grain size and particle size indicated that the sample nanoparticles were composed of numerous microcrystals. The EDX spectra indicated that the samples contained all stoichiometric elements. MPMS was used to measure the hysteresis lines of the samples. According to the hysteresis line, the saturation magnetization intensity (Ms), coercivity (Hc), and magnetic moment (μB) of the sample increased and then decreased with the increase in cadmium concentration. The magnetization strength (Ms) is between 4–67 emu/g, and the coercivity (Hc) is between 9–46 Oe. The curves of the real part of the dielectric constant (ε′), the imaginary part of the dielectric constant (ε″), and the loss factor (tanδ) with frequency were measured in the frequency range 100 Hz–100 kHz by means of an impedance analyzer. The complex modulus spectrum was analyzed to understand the dynamics of the conduction process.