Silver-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles’ characteristics for energy storage and magnetic devices applications
摘要
In this work, the impact of Ag incorporation on the structural, optical, thermal, and magnetic characteristics of silver-substituted cobalt ferrite (Ag-CoFe2O4) nanoparticles was examined. Sol–gel auto-combustion method was used to synthesize Ag-CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for potential applications in energy storage and magnetic devices. An Ag⁺ ion substitution-induced single-phase spinel structure with a minor lattice distortion was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Ag doping resulted in uniformly distributed nanoparticles with less agglomeration, according to morphological investigations using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). A tunable optical band gap according to UV–visible spectroscopy suggested improved semiconducting behavior as the silver content rose, such that Ag-CoFe2O4 has a band gap of 1.15 eV, suitable for applications in electronic devices. The spherical particles with a size (d) of 16.45 nm can be witnessed in the Ag-CoFe2O4 FE-SEM analysis. Ag-substituted samples demonstrated enhanced thermal resistance, according to DSC analysis, which evaluated thermal stability and phase purity with a melting point above 90 °C. Results from vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) showed a discernible variation in magnetic parameters, such as coercivity and saturation magnetization. The value of saturation magnetization is at about ± 0.21 emu/g, and the remanent magnetization is negligible, underscoring the part Ag playing a major role in modifying magnetic behavior. The combined findings show that cobalt ferrite nanoparticles’ multifunctional qualities are greatly improved by Ag substitution, which makes them attractive options for application in high-performance energy storage systems and cutting-edge magnetic devices.