Occupancy of Al 3+ /Cr 3+ ions at B-sites in Ni-Zn-Cu ferrite system synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method

Abstract

Ferrites find extensive application in traditional electronic, electrical, and magnetic equipment and systems.The ferrite materials substituted with different cations have become most important because of their both fundamental and technological application. In our current research, we investigate the impact of Al3+ and Cr3+ ions on the properties of nano- sized Ni0.7Zn0.2Cu0.1Fe2O4 ferrites created using the sol-gel auto-combustion process. We employ various analytical techniques, including XRD, SEM, FTIR, ESR, VSM, and dielectric measurements to characterize these synthesized nano-ferrites. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the development of a cubic spinel structure within the Fd3m space group.There is no impurity found in XRD spectrum. The SEM images revealed that the particles exhibit a spherical morphology, with an average grain size falling within the 5-10nm range. In the FTIR spectra, the fundamental absorption bands were observed, which can be attributed to octahedral and tetrahedral sites within the 400-600cm-1 range. Furthermore, the g-factor exhibited a linear decrease as both the magnetic field strength and dopant concentration increased. The addition of Al 3+ and Cr 3+ in place of Fe 3+ will decrease the parallel spin in B-site when both substitute ions enter into B- site as well as increase A-B interaction favours the anti parallel spin arrangement between the A-site and B-site. The obtained findings align well with the values previously documented in the literature.