Magnetic and structural properties of CoCrxFe2−xO4 spinels prepared by solution self combustion method

In this study we report the synthesis of nano-sized CoCrxFe2−xO4 (0<x<1) by solution self combustion method. Citric acid is used as fuel. Self combustion method provided excellent control over the composition. Upon increased Cr substitution, saturation magnetization, remnant magnetization, and coercivity were all found to decrease. The compositional influence Cr upon the magnetic properties and the structural parameters is found to be nearly linear. The crystallite size of the nanoparticles decreases linearly from 17 nm to 5 nm with increase in Cr content. The increase in Cr content decreases the magnetic ordering of material and converts into a soft magnetic material.