Effect of Al doping in zinc ferrite nanoparticles and their structural and magnetic properties

Aluminum doped zinc ferrite (ZnFe2-xAlxO4) nanoparticles with x ranging from 0 to 0.9 was prepared via thermal treatment method using PVP as a capping agent. The Al-dopant concentration was controlled by ratio of Al/Fe precursors. Structural, morphological, and magnetic properties were investigated for the effect of non-magnetic Al in ferrite samples. Single phase with normal spinel ferrite structure was revealed by XRD measurement. Furthermore, reduction in nanocrystalline particle size as the Al content increases has been confirmed by XRD analysis. It was discovered that particle size decreases as the Al concentration increases, which attributed to structural effect of Al on grain size. Complete formation of stable nanocrystalline ferrite at 500 degrees C was discovered by TGA measurement. Magnetic hysteresis loop measured at RT with a maximum magnetic field of 1.8 T revealed that Ms and Mr both decreased, which ascribed to the results of spin non-collinearity and weak interaction between sublattices. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.