Electrical and magnetic properties of the Sn4+ substituted spinel ferrite, ZnSnxFe2-4x/3O4 (0.00≤x≤0.30)

ZnSnxFe2-4x/3O4 spinels (0.0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3) which have cubic symmetry were synthesized using a ceramic technique at 1150 degrees C for 24 h in air and rapidly quenched to room temperature. From the XRD, TGA and DTA results, it was found that all samples had single phase and thermal stability in the range of room temperature up to 1000 K. As Sn4+ concentration was increased from x=0 to 0.3, the lattice parameter and electrical conductivity increased. The results of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic moment measurements showed that the tetrahedral (A) site is occupied by a Zn2+ ion and magnetic moments depend only upon Fe3+ ion in an octahedral (B) site. The magnetic moments decreased with an increasing amount of non-magnetic Sn (d(10)) ion. n-type semiconductivity was observed in all samples. However, the conductivities did not depend on Sn substitution. It was assumed that the conduction mechanism would be derived from the competitive relation between the formation of Fe2+ and elongation of distance between neighboring Fe cations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.