Structural, Thermal, Morphological and Magnetic Properties of Al3+-Doped Nanostructured Spinel Nickel Ferrites

Abstract

Aluminum–nickel ferrite nanostructure with a nominal composition of NiFe2-xAlxO4 (0 < x < 0.9) was synthesized by heat treatment process by employing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping operator. The effects of Al3+ substitution on structural, morphological, quantitative, qualitative and magnetic properties were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM). Single-phase inverse spinel structure and decrease in average crystal size as Al concentration increases was acknowledged by XRD and EDX characterization. The decrease in average crystal size as Al3+ ions content increases is associated with structural effects of overall crystal size of nanostructure. The development of a thermally stable nickel ferrite above 500 °C was detected by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The magnetic hysteresis loop measurements at room temperature (RT) with an ultimate tested magnetic field of 1.8 T shows both saturation and remnant magnetization decreases as content of Al3+ ions substitution increases. The decrease in overall magnetization is due to spin non-collinearity, weakening of magnetocrystalline anisotropy and weak super-exchange interactions.