Defect-induced Sr1−xPrxTiO3 crystallites by burial sintering and its optoelectronic applications

Abstract

The band structure of SrTiO3 was altered by introducing Pr3+ in the Sr2+ site and subsequent graphite burial sintering. The asymmetric nature of the (310) peak in XRD and the emergence of Eg and B1g modes in the Raman spectrum suggest the transformation from cubic to tetragonal phase for the Sr1-xPrxTiO3 system with x ≥ 0.1. The development of the forbidden first-order Raman peaks and novel spectral properties are attributed to the local vibrational modes linked to oxygen vacancies. Structural variations in terms of lattice strain were investigated using a W–H plot, and morphological changes were analyzed by high-resolution FE-SEM. High infrared absorption in UV–Vis–NIR spectra and a significant reduction in band gap from 2.8 eV to 1.8 eV were accomplished through increased disorder in the lattice and the reduction of Ti4+. The blue shift in absorption spectra with Pr concentration can be used to tune the absorption range for sensing purposes. The formation of new electronic states observed here offers a novel approach for band gap modification in perovskites for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications.