Effect of annealing temperature and copper mole ratio on the morphology, structure and magnetic properties of Mg0.5−xCuxZn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by the modified Pechini method

•Magnesium copper zinc ferrite synthesized by the modified Pechini method.•Nano-sized particles with a low agglomeration degree were obtained.•The Periodic Bond Chain was suggested for formation of different morphologies. In this study, magnesium copper zinc ferrite (MCZ) nanoparticles were synthesized by the modified Pechini method. In this approach, the magnesium nitrate, copper nitrate, zinc nitrate, iron nitrate, citric acid and diethylene glycol (instead of ethylene glycol in conventional Pechini method) were used as a source of Mg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, complex and stabilizer and solvent agent, respectively. The effect of annealing temperature and copper mole ratio on the morphology, structural and magnetic properties of Mg0.5xCuxZn0.5Fe2O4 (x=0–0.5) nanoparticles were investigated. Various characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FeSEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray mapping, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), adsorption-desorption isotherm and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used to study the phase, microstructure, particle size, elemental distribution, functional group determination, porosity and magnetic properties of nanoparticles, respectively. The results showed that cubic spinel phase with various morphologies such as semi-spherical, sheet-like shapes was obtained by the modified Pechini method. Furthermore, the nanoparticles with the x value of 0.2, annealed at 700°C have the highest saturation magnetization (Ms=56.5emu/g) among the other synthesized MCZ ferrite nanoparticles.