Improvement of ferroelectric properties via Zr doping in barium titanate nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2022-07, Vol.33 (21), p.16753-16776
• Main Authors: Reda, Mahasen, El-Dek, S. I., Arman, M. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption spectra; Barium; Barium titanates; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Crystallites; Crystallization; Doping; Ferroelectric materials; Ferroelectricity; Field emission microscopy; Fourier transforms; Infrared spectra; Materials Science; Morphology; Nanoparticles; Nitrates; Optical and Electronic Materials; Phase transitions; Photomicrographs; Piezoelectricity; Random access memory; Temperature; X ray powder diffraction; Zirconium
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-022-08541-x

Barium titanate is still the prototype of a piezoelectric crystalline material that has attracted many researchers and industrial partners to use. A modified citrate method was used to create barium titanate nanoparticles BaTi 1− x Zr x O 3 . The samples were crystallized in a single-phase tetragonal structure, as revealed using X-ray powder diffraction. The crystallite size decreases with increasing Zr concentration. Fourier-transform infrared spectra showed the main absorption bands of the samples BaTi 1− x Zr x O 3 . Field emission scanning electron microscopy micrographs illustrate that the doped sample BaTi 0.9 Zr 0.1 O 3 is more porous and finer than the parent. For low Zr doping concentrations ( x  = 0.1), the ferroelectric properties of barium titanate are improved. The conduction mechanisms in the samples are small polaron hopping and correlated barrier hopping. The Zr/Ti ratio is a crucial parameter for tailoring the ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition.