Enhanced magnetic, ferroelectric, and photocatalytic properties of Nd and Co doped bismuth ferrite (Bi1−xNdxFe1−yCoyO3) ceramics

Abstract

This study investigates the structural, magnetic, ferroelectric, and photocatalytic properties of bismuth ferrite ceramics co-doped with Nd and Co. The ceramics were synthesized using a combination of solid-state and mechanical milling techniques, and their compositions were varied within the range of Bi1−xNdxFe1−yCoyO3, with x and y ranging from 0.05 to 0.20. The materials were characterized using XRD (Rietveld refinement), WDXRF, Raman spectroscopy, and impedance analysis. Magnetic measurements revealed that the saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr) significantly increased as the concentrations of Nd and Co increased. The magnetic properties showed an improvement, with the Ms value increasing from 8.12 emu/g for x = y = 0.05 to 18.67 emu/g for x = y = 0.20. Similarly, the magnetic response increased from 1.49 emu/g to 5.63 emu/g. The ferroelectric properties also exhibited improvement, with polarization values increasing from 0.79 µC/cm2 to 2.02 µC/cm2 at a frequency of 50 Hz. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the degradation of organic dyes under visible light exposure, which showed a notable increase of up to 70 % when the doping concentrations were at their highest. These results suggest that Bi1−xNdxFe1−yCoyO3 ceramics have a wide range of applications, making them promising materials for advanced devices and environmental cleanup. By doping with Nd and Co, the materials’ properties are enhanced, leading to significant improvements in their ability to convert light into energy.