Impact of BaFe12-0.5Cu0.5O19 on structure, elastic, morphology, composition, optical and magnetic behavior of hybrid BaFe12-0.5Cu0.5O19/Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 nanocomposites

In this report, we describe how Copper-doped Barium Hexaferrite (CBH) influences the structure, elasticity, morphology, composition, and optical and magnetic behavior of hybrid BaFe12-0.5Cu0.5O19/Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 (CBH/CZF) nanocomposites. A new study examines the role of CBH in composites prepared by physical mixing. Analysis of the composites was performed using XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, UV, PL, and VSM. XRD confirms the formation of hexagonal and spinel structures along with their cell volume, lattice parameters, stress, strain, and other structural parameters. Elastic parameters and Debye temperature were measured using FTIR. The Young's modulus of CC90-10 (477 GPa) is greater than Tungsten (400 GPa) which shows that these high-density materials can also provide the best effective shielding against gamma radiation and can be utilized as lead-free radiation shielding materials. Also, such composite having, less lattice energy, and good elastic wave velocity can be typically used in high-density optical storage devices. The morphology, particle size distribution, and a comparison between the crystalline and particle size of the composite are studied by SEM. The purity of the composite produced is analyzed using EDAX studies. From the UV analysis, the optical measurements of the manufactured composite such as transmission, absorption, refractive index, and Urbach energy were analyzed. Both the direct and indirect band gap energies are governed by Tauc's diagram, which increases with decreasing CBH in the composite. Among all the observed composites, CC60-40 has a smaller crystallite size (19 nm) with good morphology and a larger surface area 62 cm(2)/g) with an optical band gap of 1.42 eV (absorption and transmission in the visible), suggesting this is a suitable candidate for a visible-light active photocatalyst. The overall structural and optical properties also prove that the material can be used in tunable photonic applications. The refractive index of the composite is between 3.2 and 3.4, which can be used for photo-electrochemical cells, optical detectors, or reflectors. The optical band gap determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy was verified using PL spectra, which reflect semiconducting properties that can be exploited in optoelectronic devices, photocatalysts, and sensor applications. Magnetic properties examined using VSM showed an increase in M-s, M-r, and H-c values with a decrease in CBH concentration. The maximum values for M-s (19.45 emu/g), M-r (3.52 emu/g), and H-c (0.133 kOe) are obtained for the CC60-40 nanocomposite material. Analysis of the composite's magnetic interaction is done by plotting loop width (Delta H) vs magnetization (M). The magnetic properties of CBH (M-s, M-r, and H-c) can be improved by combining CBH and CZF.