Structural, magnetic properties, and hyperfine interactions of Ni0.8Cu0.1Zn0.1MoxFe2−2xO4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) nanospinel ferrites

Ni 0.8 Cu 0.1 Zn 0.1 Mo x Fe 2–2 x O 4 ( x ≤ 0.1) nanospinel ferrites (Mo → NiCuZn NSFs) were produced by sol–gel approach. A spinel structure formation with no impurities was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The nanoparticles’ morphology and chemical composition of the products have been confirmed via SEM, TEM, HR-TEM, and EDX. By fitting Mössbauer spectra at RT, Hyperfine parameters were determined. A superparamagnetic state was observed in all samples. The Mo 4+ were found to reside in the B site mainly. Isomer shift values showed that Mössbauer spectra composed magnetic Fe 3+ sextets. Magnetic characteristics of Mo → NiCuZn NSFs are probed employing hysteresis loops at 300 K and 10 K. The significant role of Mo ions in the magnetic characteristics of the host material is revealed by employing saturation magnetization ( M s ), magnetic moment ( n B ), coercivity ( H c ), SQR (squareness ratio), and magneto-crystalline anisotropy constant. While the samples show a superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K, they represent a magnetically soft material at 10 K. The magnetic parameters, with a minimum magnetization at x = 0.06, fluctuate with respect to Mo concentration at each temperature. The M s and n B become the maximum for the Mo → NiCuZn NSFs ( x = 0.02) which yields the minimum H c . The SQR is negligible at 300 K and low (much less than 0.5) at 10 K, reflecting the generation of multi-magnetic domains and a relatively low anisotropy field.