Structural, morphological and electronic properties of cadmium cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Cadmium cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with a chemical formula of CdxCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 & 0.6) (CCF) were prepared via the citrate-gel auto combustion method followed by annealing at 773 Kelvin for 4 hrs in air. Further, the samples were characterized for structural, morphological, elemental, functional group, electrical and thermoelectric properties analysis. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed the single phase cubic structure. The crystalline size of the synthesized Co-Cd ferrites nanoparticle is found in the range of 11 to 17 nm. In addition, with an increase of Cd content, we noticed that lattice constants (a) and x-ray density (d(x)) values were increasing from 0.8419 - 0.8496 nm and 5.222 - 5.777 g/c.c., respectively. Morphological properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) & Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tetrahedral (nu(1)) and octahedral (nu(2)) frequencies were observed at around 400 - 600 cm(-1). The electric and dielectric properties such as DC-electrical conductivity (sigma(dc)), dielectric constant (epsilon'),dielectric loss (epsilon '') and thermoelectric power parameters were calculated. At a low temperature of 300 K, the samples express the p-type semiconducting nature due to having +ve value of 'S' while the same shows -ve value at high temperature suggesting the n-type semiconducting behavior. Moreover, the magnetic Curie-transition temperatures were determined as a function of composition and noted to be decreasing from 753 - 653 K respectively.