Lanthanum substituted Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles (Ni0.5Zn0.5LaxFe1-xO4; 0.00 ≤x≤ 1.00) synthesized by sol-gel method were presented. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal the typical single phase spinel cubic ferrite structure, with the traces of secondary phase for lanthanum substituted nanocrystals. In addition, the structural analysis also demonstrates that the average crystallite size varied in the range of 21-25 nm. FTIR spectra present the two prominent absorption bands in the range of 400 to 600 cm-1 which are the fingerprint region of all ferrites. Surface morphology of both substituted and unsubstituted Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticle samples was studied using FESEM technique and it indicates a significant increase in the size of spherical shaped particles with La3+ substitution. Magnetic properties of all samples were analyzed using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results revealed that saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) of La3+ substituted samples has decreased as compared to the Ni-Zn ferrite samples. Hence, the observed results affirm that the lanthanum ion substitution has greatly influenced the structural, morphology and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles.
This study explores the potential of using cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles grown in situ on eggshell membranes (ESM) to mitigate the increasing problem of electromagnetic interference (EMI). A simple carbonization process was adopted to synthesize CF nanoparticles on ESM. The study further examines the composites' surface morphology and chemical composition and evaluates their microwave absorption performance (MAP) at X-band frequency. Results showed that the composite of CF and ESM - CESM@CF, exhibited a strong RL peak value of -39.03 mm with an optimal thickness of 1.5 mm. The combination of CF and ESM demonstrates excellent impedance matching and EM wave attenuation. The presence of numerous interfaces, conduction loss from the morphology, interfacial polarisation, and dual influence from both CF and ESM contribute to the high MAP of the composite. CESM@CF composite is projected as an excellent biomass-based nano-composite for EM wave absorption applications.