Effect of gamma irradiation on some electrical and dielectric properties of Ce3+ substituted Ni-Zn nano ferrites

We report on the synthesis of cerium substituted nickel zinc nano ferrites of compositions x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, and y = 0.1 and on the effect of gamma irradiation on their electrical properties. The samples were synthesized by employing a non-conventional nitrate gel auto combustion technique with a sintering temperature of 600 °C. The structural studies of the as-synthesized ferrites using powder XRD reveal no significant impurity peaks in the obtained pattern, and the crystallite size is in the range of 8-37 nm. Upon irradiation with gamma radiation emitted by Co60 with a constant dose rate of 4.97 kGray, the electrical and dielectric properties of the ferrite samples were significantly altered. The DC resistivity of the irradiated ferrite showed a five-fold decrease in its value, which may be due to the hopping of Fe2+ ions at the B-site.