Modification of surface chemistry by lattice Sn doping in BiFeO3 nanofibers

Abstract

Results on X-ray near edge structure (XANES) study on Sn-doped BiFeO3 (BFO) nanofibers with varying Sn concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 5% are reported. The results indicate that the oxidation state of Sn ions in the BFO structure is +4. In addition, we observe a bismuth peak (Bi M1) at 4000 eV in the XANES spectrum, suggesting the diffusion of Bi ions onto the surface of BFO nanostructure. The diffusion is attributed to the charge compensation between donor electrons from the Sn atoms and Bi vacancies. These findings are of high relevance to surface chemistry reactions in sensing and catalytic applications.