Nickel Substitution Effects on Nano-sized Co, Mn and MnZn Ferrites Synthesized by Sol-gel Method

Nickel substituted nano-sized ferrite powders, $Co_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$, $Mn_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ and $Mn_{1-2x}Zn_xNi_xFe_2O_4$ ($0.0{\leq}x{\leq}0.2$), were fabricated using a sol-gel method, and their crystallographic and magnetic properties were subsequently compared. The lattice constants decreased as quantity of nickel substitution increased, while the particle size decreased in $Co_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ ferrite but increased for the $Mn_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ and $Mn_{1-2x}Zn_xNi_xFe_2O_4$ ferrites. For the $Co_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ and $Mn_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ ($0.0{\leq}x{\leq}0.2$) ferrite powders, the $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ spectra could be fitted as the superposition of two Zeeman sextets due to the tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the $Fe^{3+}$ ions. However, the $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ spectrum of $Mn_{0.8}Zn_{0.1}Ni_{0.1}Fe_2O_4$ consisted of two Zeeman sextets and one single quadrupole doublet due to the ferrimagnetic and paramagnetic behavior. The area ratio of the $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ spectra could be used to determine the cation distribution equation, and we also explain the variation in the $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ parameters by using this cation distribution equation, the superexchange interaction and the particle size. The saturation magnetization decreased in the $Co_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ and $Mn_{1-2x}Zn_xNi_xFe_2O_4$ ferrites but increased in the $Mn_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ ferrite with nickel substitution. The coercivity decreased in the $Co_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ and $Mn_{1-2x}Zn_xNi_xFe_2O_4$ ferrites but increased in the $Mn_{1-x}Ni_xFe_2O_4$ ferrite with nickel substitution. These variations could thus be explained by using the site distribution equations, particle sizes and spin magnetic moments of the substituted ions.