Mössbauer study of nano-particles of spinel ferrites LixFe₃₋xO₄

816-820Mössbauer spectra have been recorded on three nano-particle samples in the series LixFe₃₋xO₄ (for x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) at 300K and 80K. Spectra could be resolved into two doublets attributed to two crystalline sites, viz., tetrahedral site and octahedral site. Li occupies the octahedral site with a complete preference as in the bulk particle size state. Analysis of Mössbauer spectra shows that electron hopping manifests at temperatures down to 80K implying the absence of a Verwey type transition. Magnetization measurements support this inference and are suggestive of no such transition occurring down to 20K