Effect of Zn substitution on morphology and magnetic properties of copper ferrite nanofibers

Spinel ferrite Cu1-xZnxFe2O4 nanofibers over a compositional range 0 < x < 1 were prepared by electrospinning combined with sol-gel method. The influence of Zn2+ ions substitution on morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of copper ferrite has been investigated. The results show that surface of CuFe2O4 nanofibers consists of small open porosity, while surface of doped nanofibers reveals smooth and densified nature. With increasing Zn substitution, saturation magnetization initially increases and then decreases with a maximum value of 58.4 emu/g at x = 0.4, coercivity and square ratio all decrease. The influence of substitution on magnetic properties is related with the cation distraction and exchange interactions between spinel lattices.