Magnetic Properties of MFeCrO4 (M = Co/Ni) Prepared by Solution Combustion Method

Single phase MFeCrO4 (M = Co/Ni) nanosized samples are prepared by solution combustion method using glycine as fuel. Lattice parameter obtained after Rietveld refinement of the powder x-ray diffraction pattern of CoCrFeO4 and NiCrFeO4 samples are 8.374 and 8.325 angstrom and corresponding crystallite sizes are 40 and 27 nm, respectively. FTIR spectra of both samples show tetrahedral and octahedral metal oxygen bond stretching peaks at 596 and 488 cm(-1), indicating spinel phase formation. DC magnetisation study indicates that both samples are ferrimagnetic at room temperature, with CoCrFeO4 having a higher value of saturation magnetisation. Mossbauer spectra indicate the presence of magnetic relaxation in the samples. Also, the strength of interaction with nearest neighbour Fe3+ cations is higher in NiCrFeO4.