Synthesis and characterization of CuFe2O4/CeO2 nanocomposites

CuFe2O4/xCeO2 (x = 0, 1, 5, 10 and 20 wt%) nanocomposites have been prepared by urea–nitrate combustion method. The particle size of the as-prepared CuFe2O4/5 wt% CeO2 nanocomposite is 5–10 nm which has been revealed from TEM and HRTEM images. The as-synthesized materials have been sintered at four different temperatures (600, 800, 1000 and 1100 °C) for 5 h. The XRD analysis of the samples reveals that the prepared materials possess tetragonal structure and have the composite behaviour. The 1100 °C sintered samples have further been characterized by FT-IR, UV–vis, SEM, ac electrical conductivity, dielectric constant, loss tangent, and Mössbauer spectra. The SEM images clearly show that CeO2 grows on the surface of the CuFe2O4. The electrical properties enumerate the ferrimagnetic behaviour of the synthesized materials. The Mössbauer spectra confirm both the inverse spinel structure of the prepared materials and the Fe3+ state of iron ions.