Substitution effect on structural, electrical and magnetic properties of NiFe2−2xAlxCrxO4 (x = 0–0.6) nano-crystalline ferrites via oxalate precursor route

•Al–Cr co-substituted NiFe2O4 were synthesized through oxalate decomposition route.•Effect of substitution on structural and electromagnetic properties was studied.•Al–Cr substitution decreases saturation magnetization and increases the coercivity.•Samples showed semiconducting behavior with conductivity decreasing by substitution.

This manuscript reports on the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of Al–Cr co-substituted nickel ferrites; NiAlxCrxFe2−2xO4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6), synthesized via oxalate decomposition route. The decomposition process was monitored using DTA-TG techniques, and the obtained ferrites were characterized using XRD, FT-IR, VSM, AC-magnetic susceptibility and electrical properties measurements. The single-phase structure was confirmed using XRD and FT-IR spectroscopic measurements. With increasing Al–Cr substitution, the obtained saturation magnetizations, via VSM measurements, showed a gradual decrease while coercivity exhibited a steady increase. The electrical properties as a function of temperature and frequency showed a semiconducting behavior with conductivity decreasing by increasing substitution, which enhances the use of these materials in microwave devices applications.

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