CoFe₂O₄/NiFe₂O₄/CeO₂ nanocomposites: structural, FTIR, XPS, BET, and magnetic properties

In this study, ternary nanocomposites were synthesized using an autocombustion process with varied calcination temperatures of 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C. The structural properties were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). FESEM images showed irregular spherical forms, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed the presence of Co, Ni, Ce, Fe, and O elements. At calcination temperatures of 600, 700, and 800 °C, the average particle sizes of the produced nanocomposites were 13 nm, 14 nm, and 25 nm, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the observed compositional changes and surface electronic states of the elements. Surface area, pore size, and pore volume were measured using Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) procedures, which revealed that surface area decreased as calcination temperature increased. Furthermore, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) examination revealed magnetic characteristics such as saturation magnetization (Ms) of 3.76 emu/g, 6.22 emu/g, and 11.56 emu/g for the nanocomposites at calcination temperatures of 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C.