STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF NI-ZN FERRITE NANOPARTICLES: INFLUENCE OF MIXED FUEL APPROACH

Abstract: Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 (Ni-Zn) ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion method using mixed fuel approach (citric acid and ethylene glycol) as a fuel. The metal nitrate to fuel ratio was taken as 1:(1:3). The as synthesized powder of Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles is annealed at 650°C for 5 h and prepared sample was used for characterization and investigations of structural and electrical properties. The structural characterization of Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles were done by X-ray diffraction technique. The average crystallite size obtained by Scherrer's formula is of the order of 21 nm. The lattice constant determined from XRD data is in the reported range 8.3783 Å. The DC electrical resistivity was investigated from room temperature to 850 K using two probe techniques. DC electrical resistivity behaviour of Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles suggests that the sample is semiconducting in nature.

Keywords: Ni-Zn ferrite; sol-gel auto combustion; XRD; citric acid and ethylene glycol.