Investigations on Mn_xZn_1-xFe₂O₄ (x = 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5) nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel and co-precipitation methods

Mn²⁺ substituted Zn ferrite nano particles have been synthesized using two different wet methods, sol-gel and co-precipitation. The doping effect of Mn²⁺ ion concentration on physical properties like structural and magnetic properties is investigated. The crystallite size and lattice parameter increases with increasing Mn²⁺ concentration. EPR study reveals that the line width and g-factor increases with increasing Mn²⁺ concentration for co-precipitated particles whereas the reverse trend for sol-gel technique is observed. However, in both the processes the saturation magnetization (M_s) and coercivity (H_c) increase with increasing Mn²⁺ concentration. In a comparative study, the nano particles synthesized by sol-gel are more crystalline in nature as compared to co-precipitated particles.