Comparative investigation of CuFe2O4 nano and microstructures for structural, morphological, optical and magnetic properties

• Copper ferrite nanostructures were crystalline, spherical and average size of 19 nm.
• Copper ferrite were prepared by environmentally friendly process from fuel.
• The process of the oxygen vacancies/valence/conduction band was studied.

CuFe2O4 nanocrystals were synthesized by the sol–gel method (SGM) and microwave method (MM) by using sucrose as a fuel. The structural, morphological, optical and magnetic properties of the products were determined and characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The XRD results confirmed the formation of cubic phase CuFe2O4. The formation of CuFe2O4 nano and microstructures were confirmed by HR-SEM. Photoluminescence emissions were determined by PL spectra, respectively. The relatively high saturation magnetization (78.22 emu/g) of CuFe2O4-MM shows that it is ferromagnetic and low saturation magnetization (35.98 emu/g) of CuFe2O4O-SGM confirms the super paramagnetic behavior.

Photoluminescence spectra of (a) CuFe2O4-sample A prepared by microwave method (b) CuFe2O4-sample B prepared by sol–gel method.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide