A facile novel synthesis of delafossite CuFeO2 powders

Abstract

P-type transparent conducting oxides copper delafossite CuFeO2 powders have been successfully synthesized by using hydrothermal method. The influence of synthesis conditions on the crystal structure, morphology, optical and magnetic properties was systematically studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV–Vis–NIR scanning spectrophotometer and vibrating sample magnetometer. The results indicated the precipitated precursor at pH value of 12 using 1 M NaOH as a base in the presence of hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent hydrothermally treated at 280 °C for 96 h was transformed to pure rhombohedral 3R delafossite phase. SEM observations of these powders confirmed their hexagonal like structure. The transmittance of the sample was around 65 %. The optical band gap of delafossite–CuFeO2 sample prepared was 3.5 eV as a visible transparent material. Furthermore, magnetic properties behavior was identified and paramagnetism property was found at a room temperature. The saturation magnetization and coercive force for the pure sample were 1.2 emu/g and 58.35 Oe, respectively.