Investigation of Structural, Optical, and Dielectric Properties of Co0.5Cd0.5-xCuxFe1.95Ce0.05O4 Nanoferrites

Co0.5Cd0.5-xCuxFe1.95Ce0.05O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) nanoferrites were successfully synthesized via sol-gel-assisted autocombustion method. The effects of Cu substation in the spinel matrix on structural, optical, and dielectric properties have been studied. XRD data confirms the successful synthesis of single phase cubic spinel structure. FTIR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy further confirm the formation of single phase spinel structure. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy is used to measure the energy bandgap of the prepared samples. The energy bandgap is found in the range 1.02 to 1.96 eV and decreases when Cu concentration increases. Dielectric parameters like dielectric constant, tangent loss, and ac impedance are determined as a function of frequency of applied field and are described with the help of Koop’s theory. It is observed that all these parameters decrease with increase in frequency and become independent of frequency above 1 MHz. The dielectric properties of Cu-substituted Co-Cd spinel ferrites make these ferrites potential candidate for applications in high frequency range.