| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1553352 | Superlattices and Microstructures | 2014 | 14 Pages |
•All products present superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature (RT).•The high Ms and magnetic moment values are attributed to cation distribution change.•The estimated Eg values for ZnFe2O4 NPs are in accordance with results reported in the literature.•The greater magnitude of band gap for the coated samples proves the existence of magnetic and nonmagnetic shells.
Zn doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles (CZF NPs) were synthesized by a citric acid assisted sol–gel auto combustion process. The obtained samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). XRD results confirmed the formation of cubic spinel-type structure with an average crystallite size in the range of 27–33 nm. The variation lattice constants obey the Vegard’s Law. The CZF NPs were evaluated for their magneto-optical characteristics. The CZF NPs exhibit superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature (RT). The average Ms value for CZF NPs is about 57 emu/g. The observed magnetic moments of products are in the range of 1.76–2.49 μB. The small Mr/Ms ratios (maximum 0.22) specify uniaxial anisotropy in the Cu1−xZnxFe2O4 NPs. The high Ms and magnetic moment values are attributed to cation distribution change. The direct optical band gap (Eg) value of CZF NPs was found as 1.42 eV.
