Structural, magnetic and electrical properties along with antifungal activity & adsorption ability of cobalt doped manganese ferrite nanoparticles synthesized using combustion route

Abstract Ultrafine powders of Cobalt doped manganese ferrite with elemental composition Mn1-xCoxFe2O4 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were synthesized using combustion method. The formation of the pure cubic spinel phase of ferrite structure was confirmed using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Structural parameters such as lattice constant, X-ray density, mass density, porosity, and cell volume were seen to be greatly influenced by cobalt doping. The surface morphology of the nanocrystalline samples was studied using a scanning electron microscope. The particle size distribution was determined using a Transmission electron microscope and nanograins of the samples were found to have dimensions in the range 15 nm–30 nm. It also showed its dependence on the extent of cobalt inclusion. Variation of magnetization and magnetic moment as a function of magnetic field and temperature was investigated using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The parameters such as saturation magnetization ‘MS’ and inversion temperature TI were seen to depend upon Co+2 concentration. The variation dielectric constant ‘Ԑ’ as a function of frequency was studied. Antifungal activity of these ferrite nanoparticles against Rhizopus fungi was also investigated at room temperature. The antifungal activity was seen to increase with increasing Co+2 content in the manganese ferrite structure and hence cobalt doped manganese ferrites are proposed as a candidate material for industries manufacturing antifungal products. The adsorption studies were also investigated using Methylene dye as the adsorbate.