Effect of samarium substitution on structural and magnetic properties of magnesium ferrite nanoparticles

•Single phasic cubic samarium substituted magnesium ferrite nanocrystals without any secondary phase was successfully synthesized by sol–gel technique.•TEM images show the samples are spherical in shape and agglomerated.•The absorption bands in FTIR are found in the expected range of spinel ferrites.•Saturation magnetization, remanence and coercivity is decreased with doping due to the decrease in particle size and increase in surface area.•Decrease in hysteresis loss suggests that we can tune the properties with the selection of appropriate Sm3+ concentration.

Samarium doped magnesium ferrite was prepared (MgSmxFe2−xO4) by sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the samples are single phasic with crystallite sizes in the 13–25 nm regime. Increase in lattice parameter with doping concentration suggests the expansion in unit cell with Sm3+ doping. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum shows substitution of Sm3+ ions in octahedral B site. Transmission Electron Micrograph shows the spherical shape of nano-particles. Magnetic measurement shows a decrease in magnetization with doping which is explained using dependence on particle size.