Cation distribution in Cr3+ doped Ni0.3Co0.2Zn0.5Fe2-xCrxO4 nanoferrites (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1): Structural, magnetic and impedance spectroscopic studies

Chromium-doped Ni0.3Co0.2Zn0.5Fe2-xCrxO4 (0.0 = x = 0.1) nanoferrites were synthesized via the sol-gel technique. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed the development of a single phase cubic spinel structure with a space group Fd (3) over barm. The saturation magnetization (M-s) decreased as Cr3+ content increased except at x = 0.075, where an abrupt increase in M-s is seen due to the cation redistributions among the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Impedance spectroscopy was employed to investigate the impact of cation distribution on the dielectric and resistive characteristics. The prepared samples exhibited significantly higher resistance values (10(8)-10(10) Omega) and lower dielectric tangent loss (<0.1), which can be attributed to changes in the morphology and mobility of charge carriers associated with the cation distribution caused by Cr3+ doping. Based on the results, the composition with x = 0.075 could be used in high-frequency applications where we need high conductivity, low losses, and moderate magnetization.