Sm Doped Cu–Ni Spinel Ferrite Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia and Photocatalytic Applications

This work explored the versatility of nanocrystalline Sm-doped Cu–Ni spinel ferrites in different applications, with a special emphasis on hyperthermia and photocatalytic activities. By incorporating Sm dopants at varied percentages in nanosized Cu–Ni spinel ferrites, the magnetic, electrical, and structural properties of the host ferrites were tailored to make them versatile materials with applications in various technological fields. Careful examination of the powder X-ray diffractograms (XRDs) ensured the presence of pure spinel cubic crystal structure for all of the synthesized ferrite samples. Obtained high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images also validated the XRD results along with mean size, morphology, and regularity in both shape and size were examined thoroughly. With increasing the Sm percentage, the average size of ferrite nanoparticles reduced, which is also verified by the gradual increase in bandgap as obtained from Tauc plots. Additionally, it is found that the hopping of electrons under an applied alternating electric field was the main process of charge conduction for all the ferrite samples, and effects of grain boundaries dominated over grains in determining the dielectric responses. The incorporation of Sm3+ ions owning less magnetic moment compared to Fe3+ ions reduced both the coercive field and saturation magnetization gradually as noticed in M(H) loops. The aroused superparamagnetic phenomenon at room temperature due to Sm doping favored the magnetic controlled hyperthermia through induction heating. Bare Sm doped Cu–Ni ferrite samples showed excellent induction heating, obeying clinical safety limits. In addition, photon-mediated degradation of the ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic was conducted using the as-prepared samples and it was found that 15% Sm doped Cu–Ni ferrite sample was sufficient to remove 95.8% of the CIP from the solution in 60 min. Moreover, doped ferrite samples also displayed excellent antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Hence, Sm-doped Cu–Ni spinel nanoferrites are versatile materials with applications, especially in hyperthermia and photocatalysis.