Structural, electrical and gas sensing functionality of fabricated Co1-xZnxFe2-xNixO4 (x= 0.0,0.3) nanoparticles

Abstract

This article reports for the first time the structural, electrical, and gas sensing functionality of novel composition of spinel-type porous Co0.7Zn0.3Fe1.7Ni0.3O4 microspheres fabricated through a simple hydrothermal route. The structural, morphological, and elemental properties of the materials are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) along with selected area electron diffraction pattern. XRD and XPS data reveal a pure phase spinel-type cubic crystal formation. Electron microscopic investigations confirm that the microspheres are devloped by the porous nano-lamellae made up of nanoparticles that are interconnected in a manner to form highly stable porous microspheres. AC impedance spectroscopy is utilized to analyse the electrical conductivity at different temperatures which disclose extrinsic semiconductor behaviour. The DC conductivity derived activation energy of the sample is found to be 0.76 eV. The frequency dependent conductivity of the compound obeyed Jonscher's power law and Koop's phenomenological theory. The sensing properties of the Zn and Ni doped ferrite were investigated for different gases and it demonstrates the promising sensing behaviour towards butane gas.