Magnetic and electrical properties of zinc-substituted nickel ferrite reinforced conducting polyaniline nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanocrystalline nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) and zinc-substituted nickel ferrite (NiZnFe2O4) have been synthesized by the refluxing method. Conducting polyaniline nanocomposites (PANI/NiFe2O4 and PANI/NiZnFe2O4) have been synthesized by an in situ polymerization of aniline monomer in the presence of as-prepared ferrites in different weight percentage (5%, 10% and 15%). Existence of NiFe2O4 and NiZnFe2O4 in the nanocomposites was confirmed by X-rays diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra red (FTIR), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. Nanocomposites showed increase in saturation magnetization as compared to that of PANI and increase in electrical conductivity as compared to those of ferrites indicating the synergistic effect of individual components. The saturation magnetization drastically increased as ferrite content changed from 5% to 15% in nanocomposites. It was found that the electrical conductivity of nanocomposites at room temperature decreased as ferrite content increased from 5% to 15%. The conductivity of nanocomposites increased with temperature, exhibiting typical semiconductor behavior. The effect of Zn substitution in nickel ferrite on the electrical and magnetic properties of the PANI nickel ferrite nanocomposites was systematically reported.