One-step synthesis and characterization of (ZrO2)1−x-(CoFe2O4)x nanocomposites with different concentrations by auto-combustion sol-gel method

The introduction of a secondary compound and in particular mixing with ferrite is a beneficial idea to improve the properties of zirconia. Here, we provide an experimental investigation of structural, morphological, magnetic, optical and thermal properties of (ZrO2)1−x-(CoFe2O4)x (0≤x ≤ 1) nanoceramics synthesized using the modified sol-gel method. The formation of zirconium oxide, cobalt ferrite and nanocomposites with different concentrations was confirmed by XRD analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the formation of cobalt ferrite cubic phase along with monoclinic and tetragonal mixed phase of zirconium oxide was confirmed in composite samples in diffraction patterns. Nanoparticle size and micro-strain are obtained using the Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis. Morphology, shape and uniformity of all as-prepared samples are investigated using SEM test and showed the agglomeration of the samples due to the magnetic property of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. Temperature-programmed characterization was also used to study the evolution of the compound during the heating process which confirms the formation of nanocomposites structure in different areas in the samples. Optical studies show that the addition of cobalt ferrite could effectively reduce the optical band-gap of nanoparticles to the visible light. We further show the enhancement of magnetic properties and a significant increase in the saturation and remanent magnetization and coercive field. Overall, this system suggests promising application for magnetic photo-catalysts and in biomedical applications.