Abstract
The structure and magnetic properties of spinel-related Mn4+-doped Li0.5Fe2.5O4 nanocrystalline particles of the composition Li0.5Fe2.25Mn0.1875O4, prepared by milling a pristine sample for different times, were investigated. The average crystallite and particle size, respectively, decreased form ∼40 nm to ∼10 nm and ∼2.5 μm to ∼10 nm with increasing milling time from 0 h to 70 h. Rietveld refinement of the XRD data of the non-milled sample show the Mn4+ dopant ions to substitute for Fe3+ at the octahedral B-sites of the spinel-related structure. The Mössbauer spectra of the milled ferrites indicate that more particles turn superparamagnetic with increasing milling time. The Mössbauer data collected at 78 K suggest that while in the non-milled sample the Mn4+ ions substitute for Fe3+ at the octahedral B-sites, this is reversed as milling proceeds with doped Mn4+ ions, balancing Fe3+ vacancies and possibly Li+ ions progressively migrate to the tetrahedral A-sites. This is supported by the slight increase observed in the magnetization of the milled samples relative to that of the non-milled one. The magnetic data suggest that in addition to the increasing superparamagentic component of the milled particles, thermal spin reversal and/or spin canting effects are possible at the surface layers of the nanoparticles.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 50 |
Journal | Hyperfine Interactions |
Volume | 237 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 1 2016 |
Keywords
- Defects
- Lithium ferrites
- Mössbauer spectroscopy
- Nanoparticles
- XRD
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry