Dielectric response of activated carbon decorated NiFe2O4 nanohybrids prepared via self-igniting route

Abstract

The NiFe2O4 (NFO)/activated carbon (AC = 0 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, 2 %) nanohybrids were prepared via the novel one-step self-igniting method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) indexed patterns confirmed the formation of spinel single-phase NFO/AC nanohybrids. It was found that the crystallite size was reduced from 21.78 nm to 20.41 nm with the incorporation of AC in the NFO lattice. Moreover, the strain and porosity percentage was also reduced from 5.59 × 10−c to 3.04 × 10−c and 34.79 % to 31.53 % respectively, with the addition of AC in the NFO lattice. The Nyquist plots of impedance revealed that the resistance was primarily restricted by the contribution of grain boundaries. The dielectric properties increased with higher concentrations of AC. Specifically, for a concentration of 2 % AC, the dielectric constant and loss reached maximum value compared to pure NFO. This enhancement in dielectric properties makes it suitable for applications at high frequencies.