Optical and magnetic properties of CuO/CuFe2O4 nanocomposites

CuO/c-CuFe2O4 nanocomposites have been synthesized via the oxalate precursor route. Effect of synthesis conditions on the crystal structure, microstructure, magnetic and optical properties of the formed powders was studied. The results indicated that pure CuO nanoparticles were obtained from the oxalate precursor annealed at 600 A degrees C for 2 h. However, substitution of Cu2+ ion by Fe3+ ion (Cu1-X Fe (X) O, where X = 0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2) led to form of CuO/CuFe2O4 nanocomposites. The microstructures of the powders appeared as a monoclinic like shape. Furthermore, the band gap energy of the obtained CuO nanopowders was 1.41 eV and the value was slightly decreased by Fe3+ ion substitution. In addition, the formed CuO particles had weak ferromagnetic characteristics. However, the substitution Cu2+ ion by Fe3+ ion enhanced the magnetic properties of the formed composite as the result of increasing the CuFe2O4 phase formation. Hence, the saturation magnetization was increased from 0.13 to 9.8 emu/g by increasing the Fe3+ ion from 0 to 0.2.