Nanostructured Ni0.8Co0.2MnxFe2-xO4 ferrites: Structural, elastic, optical, and electromagnetic properties

Nanostructured Ni0.8Co0.2MnxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.05 and 0.1) ferrites were synthesized via a solution combustion method in a citric acid matrix. The structure, elastic, optical, electrical, dielectric, and magnetic characteristics of these ferrites were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Furrier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolent visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, impedance spectroscopy (IS), and vibrational sampling magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The lattice parameter, crystallite size, hopping length, bond length, cation distribution, elastic parameters, and many others of the ferrites were evaluated using XRD and FTIR data. Well-crystallized single-phase cubic spinel-structured ferrites with the composition of Ni0.8Co0.2MnxFe2-xO4 were produced. The mechanical stability conditions of both ferrites were revealed by the study of their elastic properties. Both ferrites displayed optical activity across the ultraviolet and visible regions, spanning from 300 to 550 nm. The absorption spectra also exhibited peaks at 440 and 460 nm, and a blue shift was observed when Mn3+ content varied from x = 0.05 to x = 0.1. The electrical conductivity was found to be 1.64 × 10−7 S/cm for x = 0.05 and 1.68 × 10−7 S/cm for x = 0.1, and both ferrites exhibited a polaron hopping conduction behavior. The room temperature VSM measurement revealed the ferromagnetic behavior in both of the tested specimens. Higher values of saturation magnetization (60.3 emu/g) and magnetic number nB (2.53 μB) were observed for x = 0.05 ferrite.