Fabrication and characterization of highly ordered Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanowire/tube arrays by sol-gel template method

Highly ordered nanowire/tube arrays of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 were fabricated by the sol-gel method in the pores of anodic alumina membrane (AAM). Whether nanowires or nanotubes were fabricated depends on immersion time. The immersion time was 15-40 s for nanotubes and over 60 s for nanowires. The topography and crystalline structure of the nanowire arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the length and diameter of the Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanowires are related to the thickness of the AAM and the diameter of the pores. The results indicated that the Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanowires are uniform and parallel to each other.