Tunable magnetic properties of Ni-doped CoFe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel citrate self-combustion method

The nanostructured spinel ferrites with complex stoichiometry are an important family of the materials in a number of applications, especially in electronics through their good electrical and magnetic properties. In the framework of this study, a set of mixed cobalt and nickel ferrites was prepared with the sol–gel self-combustion route. The structural and morphological features of particles were studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques. The prepared particles show a crystalline nature with a monotonic distribution of the elements and particles size distribution in the range of 17–29 nm. The obtained particles demonstrate good magnetic properties with tunable saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy, i.e., coercivity depending on chemical composition.