XRD, magnetic and mössbauer spectral studies of Ag _xNi _1-xFe ₂O ₄ ferrite nanoparticles

Nanophase Ag _xNi _1-xFe ₂O ₄ (x = 0,0.2) ferrites were prepared by glycothermal method. The NiFe ₂O ₄ (x = 0) nanosized sample was also produced by high-energy ball milling for comparison of properties. Structural investigations of the samples were carried out by X-ray diffraction. The experiment reveals that pure Ag-Ni ferrite materials with grain sizes of about 8 nm can be obtained after annealing at relatively low temperature of about 500 °C. The nanosized compounds produced by glycothermal reaction indicate superparamagnetic behavior. A higher value of coercive field (910 Oe) is observed in x = 0 milled sample with similar particle size. The zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetization measurements reveals spin glass like behavior of the nanosized compounds.