Effects of Nd concentration on structural and magnetic properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles

Zinc ferrite nanomaterials have been received significant attention in recent years on account of their potential applications in the fields of electronics, optoelectronics and magnetics. To enhance the magnetic properties of zinc ferrites, Nd-doped zinc ferrites (ZnFe2-xNdxO4, x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03) nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared by the sol-gel method. The effects of Nd doping concentration on the structural and magnetic properties of zinc ferrites were studied. The results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the Nd ions were incorporated into the crystal lattice of ZnFe2O4 and substituted for the Fe3+ sites. Unlike pure zinc ferrites with paramagnetism, Nd doped ZnFe2O4 NPs were superparamagnetic at room temperature. Vibrating sample magnetometry results showed, with the increase of Nd content, the saturation magnetization of Nd doped ZnFe2O4 NPs increased.