Experimental comparison of structural, magnetic and elastic properties of M0.3Cu0.2Zn0.5Fe2O4 (M = Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mg) nanoparticles

In this work, the physical properties of the quaternary M0.3Cu0.2Zn0.5Fe2O4 (M = Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mg) ferrites were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. All the samples exhibit a cubic spinel structure. The values of bond lengths and bond angles were obtained from refined structural parameters. Cation distribution of these materials has been proposed based on XRD analysis. FE-SEM and TEM show formation of nano-materials with nonporous sponge-like structure. In addition, the magnetic core sizes and the particle sizes calculated by VSM and TEM methods, respectively, were compared with the crystallite sizes. The results suggest a Néel type of order exists in the Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 and Co0.3Cu0.2Zn0.5Fe2O4, while for other samples, there is a Yaffet-Kittel type noncollinear ordering. The elastic moduli of the studied ferrites were obtained from the values of shear and longitudinal wave velocities calculated by the vibrational modes on the tetrahedral and octahedral sites.