Nanocrystalline-modified nickel ferrite films: an effective sensor for industrial and environmental gas pollutant detection

Abstract

The inverse spinel nanocrystalline pure and doped nickel ferrite particles were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The thick films of both pure and doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles were prepared by coating the material on glass substrate via screen printing method. The XRD was used to confirm cubic, crystalline nickel ferrites. The scanning electron microscopy confirms nanosized, cubic nanoparticles of nickel ferrite, and their morphology was investigated. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy was used to comprise elemental composition for pure and doped ferrites. Transmission electron microscopy was attributed for investigation of surface morphology, crystal structure identification of nickel ferrites. The FT-IR was used to find the vibrational frequencies, symmetric, asymmetric stretching and bending modes of metal oxide linkage. The thick films of nickel ferrite were employed for sensing phenomenon of gases such as LPG, NO2, CH3-OH, C2H5-OH, NH3 and petrol vapours. The pure nickel ferrite showed excellent results for ammonia and nitrogen dioxide gases up to 90.42 and 86.42, respectively. Manganese- and cobalt-doped ferrites were excellent for ammonia and petrol vapours. Modified nickel ferrite effect of dopants cobalt and manganese was investigated. Pure and doped ferrites showed excellent response and recovery for ammonia, NO2, petrol vapours and LPG gases.Graphical abstractThe graphical abstract presenting the synthesis process of pure and modified nickel ferrite prepared by co-precipitation method. The prepared material ferrite thick films were exclusively utilized for the detection of some pollutant gases.