Influence of graphene oxide doping on the morphology and the magnetic properties of Ni0.8Gd0.2Fe2O4 nanofibers prepared by electrospinning

Nickel-gadolinium ferrite nanofibers doped with graphene oxide (GO) were prepared for the first time by the electrospinning technique. The structure and morphology of the as-obtained composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and Raman spectroscopy. The magnetic properties were analyzed by Quantum design MPMS-XL magnetometer. A transition from a 'fiber' morphology to a 'ribbon' morphology was detected for the samples doped with GO. Also, an increase in the magnetic saturation was found when the GO amount increases. Therefore, doping with GO influences both the morphology and the magnetic properties of the electrospun nickel-gadolinium ferrite nanofibers. These results provide a promising lead for the future synthesis of a variety of GO doped ferrites nanofiber morphologies with controllable magnetic properties.