Novel Mn0.5Zn0.5Al0.1MgxLixFe(1.9-x)O4 nanoferrites: synthesis, theoretical cation distribution, and improving their dielectric properties

Abstract

The effect of Mg2+–Li1+ ions in modifying the structural, electrical, and magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline Mn–Al–Zn ferrites was examined experimentally and theoretically in the current study. The chemical co-precipitation method was used to create the investigated ferrite samples, which have the chemical formula (Mn0.5Zn0.5 Al0.1Mgx Lix Fe(1.9-x)O4) and concentration range of the substituent (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2). The cation distribution of the investigated system was assumed and confirmed. Furthermore, the activation energy, AC resistivity, dielectric loss tangent, and dielectric constant were investigated in terms of their compositional dependence. The final results showed that the increasing of Mg2+–Li1+ concentration enhanced the physical and dielectric properties of the prepared samples. The experimental findings show also that as temperature rises, ε′, tan δ, and σ all increase but they all decrease as Mg2+–Li1+ content increases. With increasing Mg2+–Li1+ concentration, the AC resistivity of the prepared samples also continuously increased, resulting in the sample with x = 0.2 having high resistivity, which can be used in specific technical applications such as transformer cores.