Blowing-Combustion Synthesis of Sponge-like NixZn1−xFe2O4 and Its Structural and Magnetic Properties

Graphical A series of Ni x Zn 1−x Fe 2 O 4 (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) sponges have been fabricated through a facile blowing-combustion method. The optimized Ni 0.75 Zn 0.25 Fe 2 O 4 sponge showed pure phase of spinel ferrite and displayed enhanced magnetic satuaratiuon of 44.98 emu/g. Spinel ferrites have been widely used in various fields, among which nickel-zinc (NiZn) ferrites have drawn much attention due to their high electrical resistivity as well as low eddy current loss. To accommodate highly-integrated modern electronic devices, the preparation methods for nano/micro-sized NiZn ferrites have been widely discussed. Nevertheless, these current synthesis routes are usually cost/time-consuming, which hinders their large-scale production for practical applications. Herein, we present a facile, low-cost synthesis strategy for NiZn ferrites (Ni x Zn 1−x Fe 2 O 4 , x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) through a blowing-combustion method. The effect of Ni/Zn molar concentration on the structure, morphology as well as magnetic properties has been thoroughly investigated through X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. Thanks to the synergetic effect of the pure phase and moderate Ni molar concentration, the Ni 0.75 Zn 0.25 Fe 2 O 4 shows an enhanced saturation magnetization of 44.98 emu/g. More importantly, this blowing-combustion method may also be commonly applied to other spinel ferrites with different stoichiometric ratios and heteroatom doping.