Investigations on structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of Gd-substituted perovskite BiFeO3 multiferroics

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023-10, Vol.34 (30), p.2050, Article 2050
• Main Authors: Sharma, Sourabh, Kumar, Ashok, Thakur, O. P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bismuth; Bismuth ferrite; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dielectric loss; Dielectric properties; Electron paramagnetic resonance; Emission analysis; Ferromagnetism; Field emission microscopy; Fourier transforms; Gadolinium; Grain boundaries; Infrared analysis; Infrared spectroscopy; Investigations; Magnetic properties; Materials Science; Metal oxides; Microstructural analysis; Nanoparticles; Optical and Electronic Materials; Perovskites; Potential fields; Sol-gel processes; Spectrum analysis; Substitutes; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-023-11464-w

The research being conducted presents a glance into the effects of Gd substitution on the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of Bismuth ferrite by fabricating the series as Bi 1− x Gd x FeO 3 ( x  = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) synthesized via Pechini’s modified sol–gel route. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) data and Rietveld refinement of the XRD data revealed the phase purity and nanocrystalline nature of synthesized Nanoparticles (NPs). The substitution of Gd 3+ ions lead to the structural distortion in BiFeO 3 (BFO) NPs which is confirmed by the XRD Rietveld refinement. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirms the characteristic metal oxide bonds of FeO 6 octahedra which accommodates the Gd 3+ ions in BFO samples. The ferromagnetic ordering parameters decreased with increasing Gd 3+ ions concentration in BFO NPs but observed the highest magnetization of 0.815 emu/g at x  = 0.15 due to dominating ferromagnetic behavior, this phenomenon is well understood with Arrott’s plots. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was performed to investigate the electronic and magnetic interactions in the samples, the analysis revealed the presence of distinct resonance peaks associated with Gd 3+ ions substitution, providing insights into the local magnetic properties, and the observed ferromagnetic behavior of the samples is also endorsed by the EPR analysis. The microstructural analysis was conducted by the use of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) in conjunction with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) which provided insights into the surface morphology and elemental composition of the examined samples. The FESEM and EDS elemental overlay images displayed well-defined grain boundaries and a homogeneous distribution of Gd 3+ ions throughout the matrix. Dielectric spectroscopy was employed to investigate the dielectric properties of the synthesized NPs. The dielectric constant, loss tangent, and dielectric loss of the samples with Gd substitution were measured over multiple frequencies to observe the impact of Gd substitution on the dielectric properties. These findings contribute to the understanding of the multifunctional properties of perovskite materials and their possible applications in potential fields.