Structural, Morphological, and Magnetic Properties of Ni–Zr Co- Substituted Cadmium Ferrite Nanoparticles Synthesized via Microwave- Assisted Sol–Gel Combustion
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Cadmium-based spinel ferrite nanoparticles with Ni and Zr co-substitution, having the target composition CdFe 2−x (Ni, Zr) x/2 O 4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0), were synthesized via a microwave-assisted sol–gel combustion technique. to investigate the combined influence of magnetic (Ni²⁺) and non-magnetic (Zr⁴⁺) cations on the structural and magnetic characteristics of CdFe₂O₄. The novelty of this work lies in systematically exploring the synergistic effect of simultaneous Ni–Zr co-substitution, which has received limited attention compared with individual cation substitution in cadmium ferrites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed cubic spinel structures (space group Fd3̅m) for initial composition. However, with the systematic increase in Ni-Zr substitution, appearance of secondary diffraction peaks of cubic CdO (space group Fm-3m). The average crystallite size progressively decreased from 29 nm (pure CdFe 2 O 4 ) to 21 nm with increasing substitution, attributed to enhanced microstrain from the ionic size mismatch of Ni 2+ and Zr 4+ . The lattice constant decreased from 8.70 Å to 8.39 Å, consistent with Vegard's law. Williamson–Hall (W-H) plot analysis confirmed the strain-broadening effect. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed nearly spherical particle morphology with homogeneous grain distribution, while inter-particle agglomeration was observed due to high surface energy and magnetic interactions. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the intended constituent elements and a composition consistent with the nominal stoichiometry. Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) measurements at room temperature showed soft magnetic behavior for all compositions; saturation magnetization (Ms) peaked at 0.267 emu/g at x = 0.6 before declining at higher substitution levels, and coercivity (Hc) displayed a non-monotonic trend. The present results demonstrate that simultaneous Ni–Zr co-substitution provides an effective approach for tailoring the structural and magnetic properties of cadmium ferrite nanoparticles within the investigated composition range. These nanoparticles are promising candidates for soft magnetic and microwave absorption applications.
Source: Research Square
Institution: Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225754529