Influence of Nd doping on the structural, morphological, magnetic and dielectric properties of M-type strontium hexaferrite nanostructures
摘要
In this study, Nd-doped M-type strontium hexaferrites, Sr1−xNdxFe12O19 (x = 0, 0.25 and 0.50), were prepared via the co-precipitation process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis established the phase purity of the samples, revealing crystallite sizes ranging from ~ 38 nm to 52 nm. FTIR spectra reveal the presence of both octahedral and tetrahedral sites in the crystal structure, along with various metal-oxygen bond interactions. Raman spectroscopy was used to further validate the structural integrity of the samples and to identify any potential impurities. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images, complemented through energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and elemental mapping verified the morphology and elemental distribution of the synthesized materials. The average grain size, determined from the FESEM images, ranges between ~ 172 nm and 195 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided valuable insights into the electronic states of individual elements, complementing the structural information obtained from FTIR, Raman, and FESEM analyses. Magnetic measurements revealed a reduction in saturation magnetization, from ~ 53 emu/g in the pristine sample to 30 emu/g in the doped samples. Correspondingly, remanent magnetization diminished from ~ 30 emu/g to 16 emu/g with Nd doping. Additionally, the coercive field exhibited a reduction from approximately 10 kOe to 6 kOe in the doped samples. Dielectric studies indicate an increase in the dielectric constant at higher doping percentages, the 25% Nd-doped sample exhibiting the maximum value of 4446.7 at 100 Hz, which slightly decreases in the 50% doped sample. The ac conductivity is also higher (2.4×10−5 S/cm) for the 25% Nd-doped sample and reduces to 0.9×10−5 S/cm at 50% doping. These findings demonstrate that the Nd doping concentration significantly influences the structural, morphological, magnetic, and dielectric behaviour of M-type strontium hexaferrite.