Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Mg2⁺/Sn4⁺ co-doped Ba–La M-type hexaferrites
摘要
This work presents a comprehensive study of the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of Mg2⁺/Sn4⁺ co-doped Ba–La M-type hexaferrites, Ba₀.₉₅La₀.₀₅Fe₁₂₋₂ₓSnₓMgₓO₁₉ (x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6), synthesized via a conventional solid-state route. XRD, Raman, and HR-TEM analyses confirmed the formation of single-phase M-type hexaferrites with minor changes in lattice parameters (a ≈ 5.887–5.898 Å, c ≈ 23.184–23.195 Å) and a decrease in crystallite size from 95.8 to 69.5 nm with increasing dopant concentration. Magnetic measurements revealed a systematic reduction in saturation magnetization (63.2 → 48.7 emu/g) and coercivity (4.1 → 2.6 kOe) due to the substitution of magnetic Fe3⁺ ions by non-magnetic Mg2⁺/Sn4⁺ cations, weakening superexchange interactions. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated an increase in paramagnetic contributions and local disorder at higher doping levels, consistent with the onset of superparamagnetic behavior. The magnetocaloric effect exhibited a maximum entropy change of 1.82 J/kg K and a relative cooling power of 205.31 J/kg under a 5 T field, highlighting the potential of these materials for magnetic refrigeration. These results provide new insights into the interplay between structural disorder, magnetic interactions, and functional properties, offering guidelines for designing advanced magnetic materials with tunable performance.