Effect of Zinc on Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of Co1-xZnxFe2O4 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Coprecipitation Method

Abstract

The effects of zinc (Zn) on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of Co1-xZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated. Co1-xZnxFe2O4 NPs have been successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method with synthesis temperature of 70 °C and various of x from 0.2 to 0.8. The structural and magnetic properties were determined and characterized in detail by X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). X-ray Diffraction analysis showed that the samples had the single phase cubic spinel structure. The crystallite size of the samples was calculated by using Scherrer's formula within the range of 9.3 nm to 11.2 nm. The increase in lattice parameter from 8.179 Å to 8.212 Å by increasing zinc content as a result of the different ionic radii. The peak of FTIR spectra observed around 478 cm-1 and 586 cm-1 was assigned to vibration of octahedral and tetrahedral sites which confirmed the presence of the metal-oxide stretching band. The decrease in saturation magnetization (Ms ) from 34.3 emu•g-1 to 20.3 emu•g-1 and the decrease in coercivity (Hc ) from 674 Oe to 158 Oe are significantly affected by the increase of zinc content.