A study of the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of (Ca1−xCux)TiO3 powders prepared by sol–gel process

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023-09, Vol.34 (25), p.1763, Article 1763
• Main Authors: Bennani, Lotfi, Dahri, Asma, Khedhri, Mohamed Hassen, Ferhi, Mounir, Abdelmoula, Najmeddine, Khemakhem, Hamadi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Copper; Crystal defects; Crystallization; Cubic lattice; Dielectric properties; High temperature; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Perovskite structure; Perovskites; Photoluminescence; Sol-gel processes; Substitutes; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-023-11136-9

In this work, Ca 1− x Cu x TiO 3 samples ( x  = 0 (CTO), x  = 0.04 (CCTO 0.04 ) and x  = 0.08 (CCTO 0.08 )) were synthesized via the sol–gel method. The influence of A-site copper substitution on the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of Ca 1− x Cu x TiO 3 powders was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of a pure perovskite structure. Moreover, Rietveld refinement revealed the crystallization of all samples under the orthorhombic Pbnm structure with the appearance of a minor secondary cubic phase with Cu 2+ incorporation in the CaTiO 3 host lattice. The vibrational investigation using Micro-Raman (MR) spectroscopy confirmed XRD results. Moreover, MR analysis revealed that A-site copper substitution results in the displacement of Ti atoms which induces distortions in the lattice. Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed the effect of copper-induced structural defects, distortions, and/or strains on the optical properties. Furthermore, the dielectric studies indicated high-temperature stability of the dielectric properties of the samples over a broad temperature range. The photoluminescence and dielectric results suggest that Ca 1− x Cu x TiO 3 powders are promising materials for potential use in several electronic devices such as capacitors and light-emitting devices.