Structural, Vibrational, and Dielectric Characterization of Sol-Gel Synthesized Ni₀.₄Cd₀.₃Mg₀.₃Fe₂O₄ Spinel Ferrite for High-Performance Multifunctional Applications

Abstract

Spinel ferrites have garnered significant attention owing to their exceptional and versatile properties. In this study, the sol-gel method is employed to investigate the structural and dielectric characteristics of Ni₀.₄Cd₀.₃Mg₀.₃Fe₂O₄ spinel ferrite. The characteristic cubic structure of our specimen with the space group indicates a well-ordered crystalline arrangement. Then, with a χ2 score of 1.208, the spectrum showed a superb refinement analysis. And then, the particle size was then estimated by the Debye-Scherrer equation to be 98.7 nm. The particle size obtained by the Williamson-Hall technique, however, was 122.7 nm. The conduction and relaxation methods may involve the same charge carriers, according to the examination of AC conductivity and relaxation time. The enhanced movement of charge carriers using localized states is what causes the rise in conductivity at high frequencies. This technique increases conductivity even more while assisting in the discharge of trapped charges from their confinement sites. In Ni₀.₄Cd₀.₃Mg₀.₃Fe₂O₄, the conduction mechanism was investigated using the Non-Small Polaron Tunneling (NSPT) model, which, through the conductivity fitting process, clearly highlighted the influence of polaron tunneling and provided valuable insights into the charge transport behavior within the material.

Keywords: Spinel ferrites, Sol-gel method, XRD, · impedance spectroscopy, Electronic devices applications.