The Structural and Magnetic Properties of Gadolinium Doped CoFe2O4 Nanoferrites

Gadolinium substituted cobalt ferrite CoGdxFe2−xO4 (x = 0, 0.04, 0.08) powders have been prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion method. XRD results indicate the production of a single cubic phase of ferrites. The lattice parameter increases and the average crystallite size decreases with the substitution of Gd3+ ions. SEM shows that the ferrite powers are nanoparticles. Room temperature Mössbauer spectra of CoGdxFe22−xO4 are two normal Zeeman-split sextets, which display ferrimagnetic behavior. The saturation magnetization decreases and the coercivity increases by the Gd3+ ions.