Effect of Er3+ and Pr3+ on the structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of Zn-Co ferrite synthesised via co-precipitation method

Zn-Co ferrites doped with Er3+ and Pr3+ with different concentrations were synthesised by co-precipitation method at constant calcination temperature. XRD results show an increase in the lattice parameter. Particle sizes determined from TEM are close to those determined from XRD, confirming PVP acts as controlling of the nanoparticles growth. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra analysis indicates that the spin-spin relaxation time T2 increases and the g-factor decreases with increasing Er3+ and Pr3+ content. The saturation magnetisation and the coercivity decrease with increasing RE3+ content. The dielectric constants ε’ and ε” and the dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) decrease, and the a.c. conductivity increases with the increase of Er3+ concentration between 0.00 wt% and 0.20 wt%; the same trend is observed for samples doped with Pr3+ of concentrations 0.04, 0.12 and 0.20 wt%, while that doped with 0.08 wt% of Pr3+ shows a peak at low frequency. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.