Structural, morphological and electrical properties of Cd²⁺doped MgFe2-xO4 ferrite nanoparticles

We report auto-combustion synthesis of Cd2+doped MgFe2−xO4 ferrite nanoparticles. The grown nanoparticles were characterized for structural properties using X-ray Diffraction technique, which confirms single phase cubic spinel structure with space group Fd3m. The cation distribution is inferred from the X-ray diffraction method and was used to investigate detailed structural parameters such as hopping length, ionic radii of tetrahedral and octahedral sites, oxygen positional parameter, site bond as well as edge lengths, Size determination of the samples was performed through a transmission electron microscope and was found in the range 60–85 nm (±1). All the dielectric parameters ε′, ε″ and tanδ were observed to decrease with increasing frequency of the applied field except tanδ which was observed to show an anomalous behaviour. The anomalous behaviour was explained in the light of Rezlescue model. The ac conductivity of the ferrite nanoparticles was explained in the light of hopping model. The impedance measurements show presence of only one semi-circle corresponding to the grain boundary resistance and hence show that the conductivity takes place largely through grain boundaries.