Structural, magnetic, electrical and electrochemical properties of NiFe 2O 4 synthesized by the molten salt technique

Abstract

Submicron-sized NiFe 2O 4 particles were synthesized by the molten salt method at 900 °C using binary melts of a NaCl and KCl mixture that acts as a flux. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the single phase, high crystalline and cubic structure of NiFe 2O 4 with a Fd3 m space group. The FT-IR spectra reveal the stretching vibration of octahedral complexes of Fe 3+–O 2− through the observed band around 552.3 cm −1. The SEM and TEM image had indicated the formation of submicron-sized NiFe 2O 4 particles. The ferrimagnetic behavior and high saturation magnetization of 44 emu g −1 was elucidated by VSM. The maximum electrical conductivity of 1.42 × 10 −4 S cm −1 was observed at 873 K. The NiFe 2O 4 showed a pseudocapacitive property in 1 M of a LiClO 4 electrolyte and exhibited a specific capacitance of 18.5 F g −1 at 10 mV s −1. The hydrogen evolution reaction was also studied for NiFe 2O 4 in 1 M of a H 2SO 4 solution.