Magnetic and DC electric properties of sol–gel-synthesized Ce-doped BiFeO3 nanoflakes

Abstract

In this work, Bi1−x Ce x FeO3 (x = 0.0, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1) mesoporous nanoflakes with average thickness 36–122 nm have been synthesized using the sol–gel method. The effect of Ce doping on the structural, morphological, magnetic, and electrical properties was investigated. The samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic measurements show that the Bi1–x Ce x FeO3 nanoflakes have weak ferromagnetic ordering which can be attributed to the oxygen vacancies and Ce4+ substitution in the Bi sites. The DC electric transport properties were studied in the temperature range (300–700) K by the two-probe method. The materials show typical semiconductor features and the conduction mechanisms are governed by the hopping process. The Ce doping results in a significant enhancement in the electrical conductivity and the magnetic features of the BFO nanoflakes.