Investigation of electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of silver-substituted magnesium-manganese ferrite nanoparticles

In this work, a series of silver-doped Mg-Mn ferrite nanoparticles, Mg0.9Mn0.1AgxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2), has been synthesized by solution combustion method and effects of Ag+ ions on the structural, electrical, magnetic as well as optical properties have been investigated. The phase recognition has been confirmed by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. The particle size and strain has been estimated using the Williamsons-Hall plots, while Nelson-Riley plots have been utilized to predict the lattice parameter. An increase in the particle size (17.5-21.8 nm) and lattice parameter (8.37-8.39 angstrom) has been viewed with the adding up of Ag+ ions. Incorporation of Ag+ ion has decreased the resistivity and has produced a normal dispersion curve in the dielectric properties. The M-H study has confirmed an increase in the saturation magnetization (16.9-22.7 emu/g), which has reflected the strengthening of magnetic exchange interactions with the addition of silver content in the Mg-Mn ferrite nanoparticles matrix. The bandgap estimated from the Tauc plots has been viewed to decrease (6.08-4.85 eV) by the rise in silver ions content. Raman spectroscopy study has predicted a slight shift in the Raman modes towards the lower frequency. The electric and dielectric properties have been explained in the light of Verwey's hopping mechanism and Maxwell-Wagner model, respectively. The obtained magnetic parameters have suggested that present nanoferrites are quite suitable for electromagnet application.