Magnetic and humidity sensing properties of nanostructured Cu[x]Co[1-x]Fe2O4 synthesized by auto combustion technique

TL;DR

This study synthesizes nanostructured Cu$_x$Co$_{1-x}$Fe$_2$O$_4$ ferrites via auto combustion, examining their magnetic and humidity sensing properties, revealing enhanced magnetization and humidity sensitivity with specific compositions.

Contribution

It introduces a synthesis method for nanostructured ferrites and characterizes their magnetic and humidity sensing properties, highlighting the effects of Cu substitution.

Findings

Increased saturation magnetization with Cu substitution.

Copper ferrite shows highest humidity sensitivity.

Distinct thermal hysteresis points for different compositions.

Abstract

Magnetic nanomaterials (23-43 nm) of Cu$_x$Co$_{1-x}$Fe$_2$O$_4$\ (x = 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0) were synthesized by auto combustion method. The crystallite sizes of these materials were calculated from X-ray diffraction peaks. The band observed in Fourier transform infrared spectrum near 575 cm$^{-1}$ in these samples confirm the presence of ferrite phase. Conductivity measurement shows the thermal hysteresis and demonstrates the knee points at 475$^o$C, 525$^o$C and 500$^o$C for copper ferrite, cobalt ferrite and copper-cobalt mixed ferrite respectively. The hystersis M-H loops for these materials were traced using the Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and indicate a significant increase in the saturation magnetization (M$_s$) and remanence (M$_r$) due to the substitution of Cu$^{2+}$ ions in cobalt ferrite, while the intrinsic coercivity (H$_c$) was decreasing. Among these ferrites, copper ferrite exhibits highest sensitivity for humidity.