Magnetic properties of Co0.9Cd0.1Fe1.9X0.1O4 (X = Cr, Yb) nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal method

Abstract

The present study investigated the cadmium-cobalt ferrite nanoparticles doped with chromium and ytterbium ions synthesized using the hydrothermal method. We analysed the samples by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and vibrating Sample Magnetometer devices (VSM). XRD confirmed the formation of an almost pure spinel structure. FESEM-obtained micrographs showed spherical shapes for nanoparticles and by using ImageJ software, an average particle size of about 40 nm was obtained. The saturation magnetization, the remnant magnetization, and the coercivity field were estimated using the hysteresis loop of the samples. The maximum coercivity field (815 Oe )was obtained in the sample doped with ytterbium. This could be due to enhancing the spin-orbit coupling and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of the cadmium-cobalt ferrite sample with ytterbium doping. The saturation magnetization decreased with the doping of both ions due to the lower magnetic moment of the doped ions compared to the Fe ion.