Sol-gel auto-combustion synthesis, structural and enhanced magnetic properties of Ni2+ substituted nanocrystalline Mg-Zn spinel ferrite

Nanocrystalline arrays of Ni2+ substituted Mg-Zn spinel ferrite having a generic formula Mg0.7−xNixZn0.3Fe2O4 (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) were successfully synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The fuel used in the synthesis process was citric acid and the metal nitrate-to-citric acid ratio was taken as 1:3. The phase, crystal structure and morphology of Mg-Ni-Zn ferrites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy techniques. The lattice constant, crystallite size, porosity and cation distribution were determined from the X-ray diffraction data method. The FTIR spectroscopy is used to deduce the structural investigation and redistribution of cations between octahedral and tetrahedral sites of Mg-Ni-Zn spinel structured material. Morphological investigation suggests the formation of grain growth as the Ni2+ content x increases. The saturation magnetization and magneton number were determined from hysteresis loop technique. The saturation magnetization increases with increasing Ni2+ concentration 'x' in Mg-Zn ferrite.