The spinels: versatile materials

Abstract

The spinels are one of the most extensive series of related chemical compounds known. The mineral spinel Mg2+Al23+O42- can be modified by substitution by a wide range of divalent and trivalent cations to replace Mg2+ and Al23+ respectively. The spinel crystal structure is physically flexible which leads to a wide range of physical properties and therefore practical applications. Spinel ferrites are extensively used in the field of electronics and increasingly for miniaturisation