Role of Mn2+ ion in the optimization of the structural and dielectric properties of Co–Zn ferrite

Abstract Mn-substituted Co–Zn ferrite nanomaterials with the general form Co_0.8−x Mn_x Zn_0.2 Fe₂O₄ (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) were prepared using the coprecipitation method. Based on X-ray diffraction, it can be confirmed that all samples have a single-phase cubic structure with an average crystallite size ranging from 23.46 to 32.66 nm. In addition, the lattice parameter increased from 8.32 to 8.37 Å. In this study, the theoretical density was calculated, and the Fourier-transform infrared spectra of the prepared samples were investigated. Further, the cation distribution of the system was estimated. The proposed cation distribution was confirmed by calculating the theoretical lattice parameter and comparing it with the experimental lattice parameter. We conducted transmission electron microscopy to confirm the obtained particle size. At room temperature, the electrical measurements of the prepared samples were performed using the LCR circuit as a function of frequency up to 5 MHz. In this study, we obtained enhanced dielectric properties by substituting Mn ions in the Co–Zn ferrite. As the Mn concentration increases, the AC resistivity of the samples increases. Consequently, the dielectric loss decreases, and its minimum value can be observed at x = 0.2, making the Co–Mn–Zn ferrite suitable for applications in the microwave frequency range. The results show that all dielectric properties exhibit a normal behavior with frequency. We obtained an improvement in the dielectric properties of the prepared samples, making them suitable for use in high-frequency applications due to the substitution by Mn ions.