Magnetization and Magnetocaloric Effect in Sol-Gel Derived Nanocrystalline Copper-Zinc Ferrite

We report the sot gel synthesis and magnetocaloric effect in nanocrystalline copper-zinc ferrite (Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4). The synthesized powder was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and magnetization measurements. The XRD results confirm the formation of single phase spinel structure. The average particle size was found to be similar to 58 nm. FE-SEM results suggested that the nanoparticles are agglomerated and spherical in shape. Magnetization measurement reveals that Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles exhibit transition temperature (T-C) above room temperature. The maximum magnetic entropy change (Delta S-M)(max) shows interesting behaviour and was found to vary with the applied magnetic field. This nanopowder can be considered as potential material for magnetic refrigeration above room temperature.