Structural, optical and dielectric properties of magnesium ferrite – Zinc oxide core-shell nanocomposite

Abstract

Magnesium ferrite with low toxicity, high biocompatibility and magnetic properties are used in a wide range of applications. The surface coverage of spinel ferrite with Zinc oxide, the wide bandgap semiconductor can help to reduce the agglomeration and oxidation of ferrites so that the combination of magnesium ferrite with zinc oxide can provide a multifunctional nanocomposite. Spinel magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) nanoparticles coated with hexagonal zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared by a modified sol-gel method. The structural, optical and dielectric properties of the prepared nanocomposite were investigated using various characterization tools. The XRD pattern confirms the phase purity and crystallinity of the sample. The morphology of the prepared nanocomposites was identified from the FESEM analysis TEM analysis shows that the nanocomposite exhibit a core-shell type nanostructure. Elemental analysis was done using EDX spectroscopy and the results show strong peaks corresponding to Mg, Fe, Zn and O. The FTIR spectrum was recorded and the main absorption bands corresponding to magnesium ferrite and zinc oxide were obtained. The UV- Vis and PL spectroscopic results shows the optical properties of the prepared nanocomposite. The dielectric parameters like dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the MgFe2O4 − ZnO nanocomposite are studied within the frequency range of 100 kHz to 2 MHz. The complex dielectric permittivity is found to decrease as the frequency increases and the dielectric loss is found to be very low.