Design and Development of Ferrite-TiO₂ Nanocomposites with Tunable Magnetic Properties
Abstract
Ni-ferrite-TiO2 nanocomposites with varying TiO2 content (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) were synthesized using the sol-gel auto-combustion method and characterized through XRD, FE-SEM, VSM, and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD analysis confirmed the coexistence of ferrite and TiO2 phases. FE-SEM images revealed uniform particle distribution and a reduction in particle size as TiO2 content increased. Raman spectroscopy showed strong TiO2-related vibrational modes, with the highest intensity observed in the 75% TiO2 sample, diminishing as TiO2 content decreased. Peaks observed in pure Ni-ferrite (283, 402, 469 and 689 cm⁻¹) shifted to lower wavelengths with increasing TiO2 doping, indicating altered vibrational modes due to phase interactions. These interactions likely contributed to changes in the magnetic properties. VSM analysis revealed a decrease in saturation magnetization and magnetic remanence with increasing TiO2 content, while coercivity remained stable. The magnetic behavior was attributed to TiO2 dilution and phase interfaces, offering valuable insights for the design of magnetic materials with customized properties.
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