Brassica Rapa Extract-Mediated Green Synthesis of Zn-Doped Nickel Ferrite Nanocomposites and its Characterization

Abstract

The Research performed, for synthesis of zinc-doped nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanocomposites through an Eco-conscious green synthesis route. We successfully synthesized three distinct compositions i.e. undoped (NiFe2O4), along with 0.1 ,0.2 and 0.3 zinc doped Nickel ferrite nanocomposites. For synthesis, we utilized an extract derived from Brassica Rapa (turnip) as a natural reducing and surface-modifying agent, followed by a [sol-gel and auto-combustion] process. Comprehensive characterization has performed, using advanced analytical techniques to elucidate the morphological, structural, optical, and magnetic attributes of the synthesized materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of a pure, face-centered cubic spinel structure across all samples, revealing variations in crystallite size influenced by the degree of zinc doping. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy provided evidence for the interaction between organic components from the turnip extract and the forming nanocomposites, alongside confirming the characteristic vibrational modes associated with the spinel ferrite framework. SEM images elucidated the particle morphology and size distribution, showing the presence of nanoparticles that exhibited differing degrees of aggregation depending on the zinc concentration. UV-visible spectroscopy was employed to determine the optical band gaps, which demonstrated a notable shift upon zinc substitution. The magnetic behavior of the samples was thoroughly investigated using Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), confirming their paramagnetic nature and demonstrating how zinc incorporation impacted key magnetic parameters such as saturation magnetization and coercivity.