Enduring effect of rare earth (Nd sup(3+)) doping and gamma-radiation on electrical properties of nanoparticle manganese zinc ferrite

Abstract

Rare earth (Nd sup(3+)) doped Manganese-Zinc Ferrite nanoparticles with composition Mn sub(0.65)Zn sub(0.35)Fe sub(2-x)Nd sub(x)O sub(4) (x = 0.04, 0.05 and 0.06) were prepared using combustion method of materials preparation. Formation of pure spinel phase was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforms infra red spectroscopy (FTIR). The samples were exposed to various doses of gamma-radiation (500Gy, 750Gy and 1000Gy) after recording the data on structural and electrical transport properties of as prepared samples, in order to study the effect of gamma-radiation on these properties of the nanoparticles. Lattice constant 'a' that showed a moderate increment with Nd sup(3+) doping was found to show a further increase after gamma-radiation exposure with nearly a 30 to 40 percent reduction in crystallite size. Transmission electron micrographs showed a decreasing trend of particle size that was nearly proportional to increasing dose of gamma-radiation. The samples which showed enhancement in resistivity profile with increasing Nd sup(3+) concentration showed a reverse trend of decrease in the resistivity values with increasing gamma radiation dose thus contributing to the conduction process. The dielectric constant of Nd sup(3+) doped samples showed a multifold increase in the dielectric constant with a further increase in its values for radiated samples, when referred to the values reported for undoped Mn-Zn nanoparticle ferrite materials.