Synthesis and investigations of magnesium substituted nickel ferrite nanoparticles for various applications

Abstract

The uncoated and coated Magnesium substituted ferrite nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a simple co-precipitation method. The samples were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Energy Dispersive Analysis X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), Thermo- Gravimetric Analysis and Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA), thermal conductivity and viscosity, dielectric properties and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The structural and morphological results indicated the successful substitution of Magnesium within the nickel ferrite host lattice. This substitution resulted in enhanced growth along (100) direction and led to the formation of particles in nanometer range. The synthesized samples show ferromagnetic hysteresis loops, which increases as the Mg2+ ion concentration increases. In addition, first-principles calculations have been carried out for the better understanding of changes in dielectric and magnetic properties, as well as to clarify the origin of the observed Room Temperature Ferro- Magnetism (RTFM). The photocatalytic behaviour, redox reactions and the antibacterial activity of the Nickel-Magnesium ferrite nanoparticles shows enhanced degradation and clear zone inhibition. The correlation between the coated and uncoated ferrite nanoparticles gives a clear idea regarding the choice of choosing the material according to the need. newline