Effect of manganese doping on the structural, mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles

Abstract The effects of manganese doping on the structural, mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles ( Zn 1 − x Mn x Fe 2 O 4 , x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, 0.10) are reported. The variation in lattice parameters, average crystallite sizes, and the cation distribution of the mixed-spinel Zn 1 − x Mn x Fe 2 O 4 NPs were noticed. The spherical morphologies and particle sizes were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the elemental composition was found using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The FT-IR spectra showed significant absorption bands, and the values of Debye temperature ( θ D ) increased with the doping of Mn 2+ content and an increase in the lattice vibrations. UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) was used to find the optical energy bandgap values from 1.87 to 1.98 eV. The magnetic properties were evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Significant variations between the experimental and theoretical magnetic moments were observed, suggesting that the present system showed Yafet-Kittel type magnetic ordering.