Preparation, Characterization, Magnetic and Electrical Conductivity Studies of NiFe 2 O 4 Nanofibers Kamatam Hari Prasad a Department of Physics, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Dundigal, Hyderabad- 500043,Telangana, India. hariprasad.kamatam@gmail.com M.Sumithra b Department of Physics, Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology,Puducherry- 605107,India. sumithraprem75@gmail.com Gorantla Rangaraju d Department of Physics, St .Mary’s Group of Institutions,Hyderabad- 500008,Telangana, India. rangaraju.gorantala@gmail.com Dr.N. Sundaraganesan e Department of Physics, AnnamalaiUniversity, Annamalai Nagar-608002, Tamilnadu, India. sundaraganesan@yahoo.co.in Venkat Reddy Julakanti c Department of Physics, J.B.InstituteofEngineeringand Technology,Hyderabad-500075, Telangana, India venkeyjulakanti@gmail.com Abstract Researchers are currently focusing on nanocrystalline spinel ferrites (MFe 2 O 4 ) due to their use in various applications such as magneto-optics, ferrofluids, spintronics, magnetic storage media,biomedical and microwave devices, etc. Ferrites are also used as a source for energy, humidity sensors, and a lithium-ion battery anode in addition to the electronic and magnetic usages. The NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers were prepared using electrospinning. XRD, FTIR studies support the production of NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers from cubic spinel. AFMresults confirm the formation of NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers, as well as the parameters of roughness. The impedance measurementsof NiFe 2 O 4 nanofiberelectrical conductivity is 6.39 x 10 -6 S cm - 1 at 300 K,and were performed with different temperatures and frequencies. Keywords: NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers; Electrospinning; XRD; FTIR, AFM; Impedance studies. 1. INTRODUCTION The use of nanocrystalline ferrites (MFe 2 O 4 ) for many applications, such as magnetic storage media, ferrofluids, magneto-optics, spintronics, biomedical devices, and microwave systems, is a key subject for scientists. [1-3]. Ferrites are also used as a source for energy, humidity sensors, and as a lithium (Li)-ion battery anode material in addition to electronic and magnetic applications [4,5].Unlike its conventional bulk, superior mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and dielectric properties in nanocrystalline materials are caused by the presence of majority atoms at the boundaries of grains.Varioussynthesis routes, including co-precipitation, combustion, polyol, sol-gel, magnetron sputtering, Pechini process, and hydrothermal routes [6-10], are used for the synthesis of different nanostructured materials. Among the different methods available for the NiFe 2 O 4 synthesis is the simple, cost-effective method for electrospinning, and large-scale development of one- dimensional organic, inorganic, and composite nanofiber nanostructuring is possible.Nanocrystalline NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers are generated with an electrospinning process in our current research.XRD, FTIR,VSM,AFM,and impedance spectroscopy techniques respectively used thecrystalline phase,structure, magnetic, roughness &morphology, andthe electrical conductivity of 1D NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers. 2. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION 1-D NiFe 2 O 4 nanofibers have been prepared through electrospinning and calcination processes. In conventional synthesis, first, 3 g of poly (vinyl alcohol) [PVA, M w ≈ 80,000, Qualigens, India]powder dissolved in deionized water at 50 o C under continuous magnetic stirring for 3 hours. At the same time, in another beaker, the appropriate quantity of nickel nitrate hexahydrate, ferric nitrate nonahydrate solutions were simultaneously taken, and ultra-sonicated for 20 minutes and mechanical stirring for 15 minutes to form the Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O/ Fe(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 Osolution. This solution was gradually added to the PVA solution and vigorously stirred at 50 o C for 3 hours to produce a homogenous PVA/Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O/ Fe(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 Oviscous solution. The final homogenous viscous solution PVA/Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O/ Fe(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 Owas used for electrospinning. The viscous solution PVA/ Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O/ Fe(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 O was injected into a 20 mL glass syringe equipped with a 0.4 mm inner diameter blunt- end needle made of stainless steel.The electrospinning system included power supply with high voltage, purchased from Royal Enterprises, Chennai, India. The aluminum foil nanofiber collector wrapped on an electrically grounded iron drum collector serves as a counter electrode. A positive voltage of 20 kV is applied, 12 cm ahead, between both the tip of the needle and the grounded foil collector. The constant feed rate of the solution 0.2 mL/h adjusted using a syringe pump and the rotation speed of the drum collector set as a 150 rpm. The electrospinning was performed at room temperature with a relative humidity of 40-45%. The Authorized licensed use limited to: Pondicherry University-Ananda Rangapillai Library. Downloaded on December 18,2020 at 17:09:50 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.