Magneto-optical properties of rare earth metals substituted Co-Zn spinel nanoferrites

Cobalt zinc ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) substituted with three different metals, Co0.5Zn0.5RexFe2-xO4 (RE = Ce, Dy, and Y; 0.00 <= x <= 0.05) were prepared hydrothermally. Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) analyzed the products. The formation of cubic phase of spinel Co-Zn ferrite NPs were confirmed through XRD, FT-IR and FE-SEM techniques. The structural investigation of NPs by XRD revealed that the lattice parameter a decreases with the introduction of the RE in the ferrite structure by the substitution of Fe3+ by RE ions. The different magnetic parameters of Co0.5Zn0.5RexFe2-xO4 (RE = Ce, Dy, and Y; 0.00 <= x <= 0.05) NPs such as the saturation magnetization, coercivity, remanence, and magnetic moment were calculated and discussed in relation to structure and microstructure properties. M (H) hysteresis curves indicated that the samples exhibit superparamagnetic nature at room temperature. A slight improvement in the magnetization was obtained especially for the Ce- and Y-substituted Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 (CZF) NPs at a certain RE level. However, the case Dy-substituted CZF products showed a sharp decrease in the magnetization with x > 0.01. The results are mostly ascribed to the substitution of smaller Fe3+ ions with larger RE3+ ions.