Synthesis and characterization of La/Nd-doped barium-ferrite/polypyrrole nanocomposites

La/Nd-doped barium-ferrite/polypyrrole nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of La/Nd-doped barium-ferrite particles. Structural, morphological and electro-magnetic properties of the nanocomposites were performed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), four-probe conductivity tester and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results of XRD indicated that La3+ and Nd3+ had entered into the lattice of barium ferrite. FTIR spectra demonstrated that there were interactions between ferrite particles and PPy. The TEM and SEM studies showed that the composites presented the core-shell structure. Under applied magnetic field, nanocomposites exhibited the hysteresis loops of the ferromagnetic behavior. The saturation magnetization and coercivity of nanocomposites varied with the content of Ba(LaNd)(0.09)Fe11.82O19 particles. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.