Effect of bismuth ion substitution on structural properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles

Bismuth doped nano zinc ferrite particles having the general formula ZnFe2-xBixO4 (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25) were synthesized by sol-gel combustion method. The effect of bismuth doping on structural properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra confirm the single phase cubic spinel structure. The average crystallite sizes of all the samples were determined by Debye-Scherrer equation and are in the range 16–20 nm. The lattice parameter increases with the increase of bismuth ion concentration. This is due to the larger ionic radius of Bi3+ ions substituting smaller Fe3+ ions at octahedral sites (B-sites). The surface morphology of all compounds was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The microstructure analysis and the particle size were examined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The compositional stoichiometry of these samples was verified by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis