The Properties of Mn, Ni, and Al Doped Cobalt Ferrites Grown by Sol-Gel Method

The manganese-, nickel-, and aluminum-doped cobalt ferrite powders, $Mn_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$, $Ni_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$, and $Al_{0.2}CoFe_{1.8}O_4$, are fabricated by the sol-gel method, and the crystallographic and magnetic properties of the powders are studied in comparison with those of $CoFe_2O_4$. All the ferrite powders are nano-sized and have a single spinel structure with the lattice constant increasing in $Mn_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$ but decreasing in $Ni_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$ and $Al_{0.2}CoFe_{1.8}O_4$. All the $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ spectra are fitted as a superposition of two Zeeman sextets due to the tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the $Fe^{3+}$ ions. The values of the magnetic hyperfine fields of $Ni_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$ are somewhat increased in the A and B sites, while those of $Mn_{0.2}Co_{0.8}Fe_2O_4$ and $Al_{0.2}CoFe_{1.8}O_4$ are decreased. The variation of $M{\ddot{o}}ssbauer$ parameters is explained using the cation distribution equation, superexchange interaction and particle size. The hysteresis curves of the ferrite powders reveal a typical soft ferrite pattern. The variation in the values of saturation magnetization and coercivity are explained in terms of the site distributions, particle sizes and the spin magnetic moments of the doped ions.