Abstract
Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles having the general formula CoFe2-xCuxO4 (0.0 <= x <= 0.5) were prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dielectric and impedance spectroscopy measurements. Confirmation of the single phase cubic spinel structure was made by using X-ray diffractometer. Lattice parameter 'a' is found to decrease with increasing the doping contents. Debye- Scherer formula was used for finding the particle size and found in the range 30-45 nm. Morphological analysis was made by scanning electron microscopy which shows agglomerated flakes of particles having large pores on the surface. FT-IR spectra show two absorption bands assigned to the tetrahedral and octahedral complexes in the frequency range 400-600 cm (-1). The variation of dielectric properties epsilon', epsilon '', tan delta with frequency reveals that the dispersion is due to Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. Impedance spectroscopy technique has been used to understand the conduction mechanism and to study the effect of grain and grain boundary on the electrical properties of the Cu doped CoFe2O4 ferrites.