Impact of Ce3+ and Y3+ Rare Earth Additions on Structural, Optical, Morphological, and Magnetic Properties of Mn–Zn Spinel Nanoferrites

Two series of Mn_0.5Zn_0.5Fe_2–xO₄R_x (where R = Ce, Y, and x = 0.00 to 0.15) spinel nanoferrites were synthesized via a co-precipitation approach. Methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to examine the samples’ structural, morphological, optical, and magnetic features. XRD confirmed a cubic spinel structure, with crystalline sizes lies between 16 and 24 nm for Ce³⁺ added and 15 and 19 nm for Y³⁺ added ferrite NPs. XRD analysis showed that Ce³⁺ and Y³⁺ ions were successfully incorporated into the Mn–Zn spinel structure. FTIR spectra validated the presence of tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites in all compositions of Mn_0.5Zn_0.5Fe_2–xO₄R_x nanoparticles, indicative of spinel ferrites exhibiting a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. SEM studies revealed agglomerated nanoparticles with spherical morphology. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) verified that all elements are present in the composition. The TEM micrograph shows the existence of slightly agglomerated nanoparticles. Magnetic properties, including saturation magnetization and coercivity, were analyzed using M–H hysteresis curves, showing dependence on rare earth substitution and A–B exchange interactions. The lower value of coercivity (H_c) indicatied of soft nature of NPs. The multidomain nature of the nanoferrites indicates their potential for electronics applications.