Synthesis, Characterization, and Optimization of Magnetoelectric BaTiO3-Iron Oxide Core-Shell Nanoparticles.

Mahmud Reaz,Kartik Ghosh,Ariful Haque

doi:10.3390/nano10030563

Abstract

Improvement of magnetic, electronic, optical, and catalytic properties in cutting-edge technologies including drug delivery, energy storage, magnetic transistor, and spintronics requires novel nanomaterials. This article discusses the unique, clean, and homogeneous physiochemical synthesis of BaTiO3/iron oxide core–shell nanoparticles with interfaces between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy displayed the distinguished disparity between the core and shell of the synthesized nanoparticles. Elemental mapping and line scan confirmed the formation of the core–shell structure. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected the surface iron oxide phase as maghemite. Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction data labeled the crystallinity and phase purity. This study provides a promising platform for the desirable property development of the futuristic multifunctional nanodevices.

Highlights

Nanomaterials with both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties are useful for compact devices and sensors [1,2,3]
ME coupling is a known effect in thin films, heterostructures, ferrite composites, transition metals, alloys, and core–shell nanoparticles (CSNP) [7]
We presented a controlled synthesis method to obtain multiferroic BaTiO3–γFe2O3 core–shell nanostructures for the first time, with the aim to achieve a ME coupling at the interface of nanocomposites

Summary

Introduction

Nanomaterials with both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties are useful for compact devices and sensors [1,2,3]. Polymorphism is a molecular level change in the lattices and occurs when the field strength from atomic interaction surpasses the energy of the noninteracting part of the system Both barium titanate (BaTiO3) and iron oxide are exceptional multifunctional materials for two reasons, where the second reason is more important than the first. Both of them are stable in more than one molecular phase without losing their signature properties. Both are technologically important for the exceptional ferroelectric and ferromagnetic response, respectively. Combining the properties of superparamagnetic maghemite with ferroelectric barium titanate, the goal of this study was to synthesize ferroelectric–superparamagnetic composite nanostructures with extended interfaces

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion