Effect of Ce3+ on structural, morphological, dc electrical resistivity and magnetic studies of Co nano ferrites

•The single phase CoFe2-xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.12) was synthesised using the sol–gel auto-combustion method with citric acid fuel.•XRD data confirms the presence of the cubic spinel structure of the ferrite nanoparticles.•The FESEM findings show that the particles are homogenous, uniformly dispersed, and slightly aggregated.•The FTIR spectrum shows a strong ferrite microstructure and the main effects of the chemical combination.•It has been found that the magnetic properties decrease as Ce3+ concentrations increase.