Effect of Cu substitution on magnetic and DC electrical resistivity properties of Ni–Zn nanoferrites

Cu-substituted Ni0.5Zn0.5-xCuxFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) ferrites were prepared from sol–gel auto-combustion technique. XRD, FESEM, FTIR, VSM, and DC resistivity probes were used for their structural, morphological, compositional, magnetic, and electrical properties characterization. They all have cubic spinel structures with their lattice constant decreasing with Cu doping. The range of 42.68 to 21.75 nm was their crystallite sizes. The range of the wavenumbers in tetrahedral and octahedral sites approves their spinel structures. Their dc resistivity was increased with conductive copper concentration, which further shows the semiconducting nature with respect to the temperature. They are found to be of isotropic and ferromagnetic nature used widely in daily electromagnetic purposes.