ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Influence of Nd doping on the structural, magnetic, and elastic properties of Zn–Ni spinel oxide nanoparticles

G. V. Nagesh, Rajesh Babu B, M. S. N. A. Prasad, P. S. V. Shanmukhi, K. V. Ramesh, Raghavendra Vemuri, and V. V. V. Satyanarayana

Department of Physics, Lendi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Vizianagaram, India

E-mail: rajeshbabu.bitra@gmail.com

Received: 24 October 2025  Accepted: 23 March 2026

Abstract:

The present study investigates the impact of Nd³⁺ substitution on the structural, elastic, and magnetic properties of Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ (ZNS) nanoparticles synthesized via a low-temperature sol–gel auto-combustion route. Thermal analysis confirms that the spinel phase remains stable between 450^oC and 700 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a single-phase cubic structure for low doping levels, with a lattice enhanced from 8.397 to 8.410 Å due to the larger ionic radius of Nd³⁺ occupying the octahedral [B] sites. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) shows a significant increase in the Young’s modulus (102.91–107.03 GPa), rigidity modulus, and Debye temperature, signifying enhanced lattice stiffness and mechanical robustness. The substitution of Nd³⁺ induces "magnetic hardening," characterized by a significant increase in coercivity (up to 716 Oe) and anisotropy constant, despite a reduction in saturation magnetization from 61 to 41 emu/g. The obtained results suggest that that Nd-doped ZNS nanoparticles are suitable for high-frequency MEMS components and acoustic sensors, while the high-magnetization/low-coercivity samples at low doping levels (x ≤ 0.1) show promise for biomedical MRI and hyperthermia applications.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Sol–gel combustion; Spinel oxides; Elastic properties; Low temperature; Ni–Zn ferrite

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04837-y

Chemical Papers 80 (7) 7569–7581 (2026)