Synthesis of multielement ferrites and their silica composites

Ferrites of composition M_0.2Co_0.4Zn_0.4Fe₂O₄ with M = Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ were prepared by citrate complex method. Later, their composites with silica have also been obtained by a simple route. The citrate complex precursors of multielement ferrites were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis, been found a similar behavior for the three systems. The thermal treatment (at 400, 600 and 800 °C) of precursors gives, as result, the spinel type cubic ferrite pure when the ions substituted were copper and nickel; when manganese was used an hematite phase was obtained as contaminant at 800 °C. The presence of all ions involved and the particle size was corroborated by EDX analysis and measured from a TEM micrograph, respectively. The magnetic parameters related to magnetic properties, magnetization and coercivity, were different depending of the chemical composition of the ferrite and the thermal treatment temperature, as it was expected. At room temperature, the values obtained were near to those reported for Co-ferrite in bulk. The synthesis route of the composites M_0.2Co_0.4Zn_0.4Fe₂O₄-SiO₂, proposed in this work, gives as result magnetic nanoparticles in an amorphous silica matrix. Their magnetic properties were depending on weight percentage of the magnetic phase in the composite.