Effects Of Nd Doping Research Articles

Effects of Nd-doping on crystal phase, structure and photocatalytic performance of TiO2 powders prepared by sol-gel method

Abstract In this work, 0.3–2 mol% neodymium (Nd) doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder was prepared by sol–gel method. The XRD showed that the anatase phase occur for the Nd doped TiO2 powders, and the Nd doping suppressed the original rutile phase for the pure TiO2 powder. SEM and TEM revealed that Nd doping reduced the tendency of severe aggregation and increased the specific surface area compare with pure TiO2 powder, and the Gibbs free energy difference did not reach the critical value of the phase transition driving force, while the adjustment of the Ti-O bond length caused by the addition of Nd3+ impeded the transformation of TiO2 to rutile phase. The photocatalytic activity test results for Methylene blue show that the 0.5 mol% Nd doped TiO2 had the best photocatalytic activity with the degradation efficiency of 96.2%.

Constructing optimized framework with high structural reversibility and small volume shrinkage by Nd3+ substitution for Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode

Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) has been extensively researched as an ideal cathode material. However, the limitations of its structural stability and electronic conductivity have hindered its further applications. To address these challenges, this study proposes a modification strategy centered on the synergistic effects of Nd doping and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coating. The Nd element shows a stronger affinity for oxygen. When replacing the V site, it can form a more stable Nd-O bond, meanwhile, it can inhibit the oxygen evolution. Furthermore, due to the super large ionic radius of Nd3+ (1.81 Å vs. 0.64 Å of V3+), the introduction of Nd doping serves to enhance the stability of the crystal structure, thereby ensuring the effective de-intercalation of Na+. Furthermore, Nd doping widens the transport channels, thereby increasing the speed of Na+ transport. Concurrently, the CNTs coating network, which is integrated onto the material surface, offers diverse pathways for electronic transport, significantly improving electronic conductivity. Comprehensively, Nd-3 sample shows the optimal performance at different doping gradients. It displays a reversible capacity of 114.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. When cycling at 40 C, it can remain 90.2 % after 2500 cycles. According to the ex-situ XRD measurements, the Nd-3 sample shows favourable structural reversibility and very small volume shrinkage, indicating the significantly improved structural stability. Finally, the Nd-3//CHC full cell reveals a high capacity of 134.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, indicating its great potential for applications.

High capacity and aqueous stability immobilization of simulated trivalent actinides by zircon-based borosilicate glass-ceramics: Synergistic effect between the crystal lattice and glass network immobilization

The development of matrix with high capacity and stability immobilization of nuclear waste is highly desirable. Herein, new type of zircon-based borosilicate glass-ceramics (ZBGC) with high immobilization capacity and excellent aqueous stability was prepared and applied to immobilize simulated trivalent actinide (Nd). The effects of Nd doping and sintering temperature on the microstructure and phase composition of the obtained ZBGC were researched. The experimental suggested that high ZrSiO4 formation rate (97.49 wt%) was obtained by tuning the Nd content and sintering temperature. The record high immobilization capacity of Nd in ZGBC (18 at%) was achieved owing to the synergistic effect between the crystal lattice and glass network immobilization. Additionally, the obtained Nd-doped ZBGC exhibited excellent aqueous stability (∼10−6 g m−2 d−1) due to the high compactness. The results demonstrated that ZBGC with high immobilization capacity and aqueous stability could be potential matrix for actinides immobilization.

High‐Temperature Investigation of TeO2–Na2O–ZnO Glasses

Herein, a ternary system of TeO2–ZnO–Na2O (TZN) with competitive roles of covalent Zn–O and ionic Na–O bonds in tellurite glassy network is examined for high‐temperature in situ X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. TZN glasses are doped with Nd2O3 and the effects of Nd doping on the crystallization of glasses are also written. In situ high‐temperature XRD permits the assignment of each of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) crystallization peaks (the first crystallization peak (T c1) is related to sodium‐based crystalline phases, while the second crystallization peak (T c2) is correlated with tellurium‐/zinc‐based crystalline phases). The study of in situ high‐temperature Raman spectroscopy shows that T c1 shows γ‐TeO2 crystallized phase‐like peaks while T c2 crystallization has more α‐TeO2‐crystallized phase‐like peaks. Comparison at the same temperature (430 °C) permits a first understanding of the structural changes of the glasses in terms of the evolution first to α‐TeO2, ZnO, ZnTeO3, and Zn2Te3O8 crystalline phases compared with Na10Zn4O9 phase. The ZnTeO3 and Zn2Te3O8 crystallization evolution is also compared between the Nd‐doped and nondoped glasses, which gives more insight into the tellurite glass structures.

Improvement of coercivity thermal stability of sintered 2:17 SmCo permanent magnet by Nd doping

The effects of Nd doping on the microstructures and magnetic properties of Sm1–x Nd x (Co0.695Fe0.2Cu0.08Zr0.025)7.2 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0) permanent magnets are studied. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the solid solution states of the magnets shows that with the increase of Nd content, the distribution of elements becomes inhomogeneous and miscellaneous phase will be generated. Positive temperature coefficient of coercivity (β) appears in each of the samples with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7. The corresponding positive β temperatures are in ranges of about 70 K–170 K, 60 K–260 K, 182 K–490 K for the samples with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7, respectively. Thermomagnetic analysis shows that spin-reorientation-transition (SRT) of the cell boundary phase is responsible for this phenomenon. On the basis of this discovery, the Sm0.7Nd0.3 (Co0.695Fe0.2Cu0.08Zr0.025)7.2 magnet possessing thermal stability with β ≈ –0.002 %/K at the temperature in a range of 150 K–200 K is obtained.

Influence of Nd3+ modifying on 80TeO2–xZnO–(20−x)Na2O ternary glass system

In this study, the ternary system of TeO2–ZnO–Na2O (TZN) with a fixed TeO2 content of 80 mol. % and with a varied ZnO and Na2O content of totally 20 mol. % was examined for thermal/mechanical properties, Raman and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra, and the evolution of medium distance (correlation length) of order, called blob size here, given from low-frequency Raman spectra and longitudinal/transverse sound velocities as a function of ZnO concentration. The TZN glasses were doped with Nd2O3, and the effects of Nd doping on the above-mentioned properties were reported. High-temperature in situ x-ray diffraction experiments were also conducted to know possible oxygen coordination numbers of these main-constructive cations from crystalline phases precipitated at elevated temperatures. According to the information, the evolution of blob size of Nd-doped and non-doped TZN glasses was attempted to be predicted with a term of theoretical volume of their molar unit constructed with cation–oxygen polyhedra of TeO3, TeO4, ZnO4, ZnO5, NaO4, and NaO5. A transition region due to the structural change owing to the coordination numbers of Te–O and Zn–O was elucidated concerning density, molar volume, and Poisson ratio. XAFS spectroscopy revealed that the ZnO component had different polyhedra of ZnO4 and ZnO5, whose ratio was dependent not only on ZnO concentration but also on whether Nd3+ ions were doped or not. Based on the information taken from a variety of observations, our preliminary analysis suggested that the different mechanical properties between the doped and non-doped glasses were explained by five-coordinated zinc in the glasses. Possible molecular models shall be given for lower and higher ZnO concentrations in TZN glasses.

Phase and microstructure evolution of 0.2SiO2/Zr1-xNdxSiO4-x/2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramics

Zircon (ZrSiO4) ceramics were widely used in the field of nuclear waste immobilization because of their excellent properties. However, the SiO2/ZrSiO4 ceramics were usually obtained in the preparation of ZrSiO4. The actinides immobilization behavior of SiO2/ZrSiO4 ceramics is unclear. Herein, Nd-doped 0.2SiO2/Zr1-xNdxSiO4-x/2 (0≤x ​≤ ​0.1) ceramics were fabricated and the effects of Nd-doping and sintering temperature on their phase and microstructure evolution were investigated. The obtained ceramics were characterized by XRD, SEM, BSE and EDS. Results show that 0.2SiO2/Zr1-xNdxSiO4-x/2 ceramics with 0≤x ​< ​0.04 are ZrSiO4 phase; while with 0.04≤x ​≤ ​0.1 are coexistence of ZrSiO4 and Nd2Si2O7 phases. The solubility limit of Nd3+ in 0.2SiO2/ZrSiO4 is about 4 ​at%. The lattice volume of ZrSiO4 increased with increasing Nd-doped content and sintering temperature. Furthermore, higher Nd-doped content and sintering temperature are beneficial to the densification of the obtained ceramics. The results demonstrate that the 0.2SiO2/ZrSiO4 ceramics can be employed as waste form materials to immobilize trivalent actinides.

Influence of Nd-doping on the microstructure and electrical properties of Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ negative temperature coefficient ceramics

The effects of Nd-doping on the microstructure and electrical properties of Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ ceramics prepared by the traditional solid-state reaction route were investigated. XRD patterns reveal that all of the ceramics are assigned to the scheelite CaWO4 phase, whereas the cell volume of the ceramics decreases with the addition of Nd content. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirms that the coexistence of Ce3+/Ce4+ ions, which is one of the fundamental reasons for the conductivity of Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ ceramics. The Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ ceramics show NTC behavior by observing a good linear relationship between the natural logarithm of resistivity (lnρ) and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature (1000/T) over a wide temperature range (0–600 °C). The values of electrical performance parameters ρ300, B300/600 and Ea of the Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ compounds are in the range of 8710–15795 Ω cm, 5865.94–6383.89 K, 0.506–0.551 eV, respectively. With the increase of Nd doping, the resistivity, thermal constant B, and activation energy of the ceramics all decrease, indicating the electrical properties of the Ca1-xNdxCeNbWO8+δ compounds can be effectively adjusted by changing Nd3+ concentration.

Effects of Nd doping on structural, optical, morphological and surface-chemical state analysis of ZnO nanoparticles for antimicrobial and anticancer activities

Zinc oxide NPs and various concentrations of Nd-ZnO NPs were prepared using a chemical precipitation process. Synthesized nanoparticles have been characterised by X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Micro-Raman and Photo Luminescence (PL) Spectra in order to study structural functional, morphological, elementary and compositional groups. XRD data verified the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO and Nd-ZnO NPs. Zn-O stretching frequencies ZnO and Nd-ZnO were observed at 423, 466, 423 and 452 cm-1, respectively, from the FTIR spectra. The morphological changes of ZnO and Nd-ZnO NPs have been confirmed by SEM and TEM. The EDAX spectra confirms the chemical composition of the elements involved. XPS confirms the oxidation status of the elements concerned. The peak at 432 cm-1 of the Raman spectra is the E2 phonon mode of the metal oxide NPs involved. The improved photoluminescent properties of Nd-ZnO compared to ZnO NPs are shown by the Photoluminescent (PL) spectra. The antibacterial activity of the synthesised nanoparticles against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria indicates that the highest concentration of Nd-ZnO (Zn1-xNdxO when x=0.15) shows higher antibacterial activity. The anticancer activity of the synthesised nanoparticles has shown that the low concentration of Nd-ZnO (at Nd concentration is 0.05) is adequate for the 50 percent of cell mortality.

Hydrothermal synthesized Nd-doped TiO2 with Anatase and Brookite phases as highly improved photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cell

In this study, the effects of Nd doping on the performance of TiO2 photoanode based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are reported. Nd-doped TiO2 (Nd-TiO2) was synthesized using hydrothermal method. Un-doped TiO2 (TiO2) was also synthesized for reference. XRD, IR, Raman and electron microscopy characterisation of the obtained material were performed and the subsequent electrochemical tests, CV and EIS studies were made to explore their application. The XRD and Raman analysis’s results indicated that the Nd-TiO2 and TiO2 have both the Anatase and Brookite phases. TEM, EDX and EIS studies were used to obtain particle size, morphology, the presence of the element, electron lifetime and recombination characteristics respectively. The Nd-TiO2 nanoparticles have uniform particle size, a strong red shift of their absorption into the visible region and greater dye-loading as compared with TiO2 nanoparticles. It is proved that higher efficiency was achieved when the TiO2 Anatase and Brookite structure were mixed. Further, Nd had a positive effect on the performance of photoelectrode and DSSC fabricated with Nd-TiO2 photoanode revealed an appreciable current conversion efficiency of 5.23% with a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 12.8 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.62 V and fill factor (FF) of 0.66. The increased current conversion efficiency was attributed to the greater dye loading, reduced charge recombination and facile charge transport with Nd-doped TiO2.

Temperature-Dependent Domain Dynamics and Electrical Properties of Nd-doped Bi₄Ti2.99Mn0.01O12 Thin Films in Fatigue Process.

Bi4Ti2.99Mn0.01O12 (BTM) thin films with different ratio of neodymium (Nd) doping were prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates through a sol-gel method. The effects of Nd doping on domain dynamics and temperature-dependent fatigue behaviors of BTM thin films were systematically studied. The polarization fatigues of BTM (not doped) and Bi3.5Nd0.5Ti2.99Mn0.01O12 (BNTM05) thin films first get better with the increasing temperature (T) from 300 to 350 K and then become worse from 350 to 400 K, while Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti2.99Mn0.01O12 (BNTM85) thin films show enhanced fatigue endurance from 300 to 400 K. It can be shown that the long-range diffusion of oxygen vacancies in BTM thin film happens more easily through the impedance spectra analysis with T from 300 to 475 K, which can be verified by a lower activation energies (0.13–0.14 eV) compared to those of BNTM05 and BNTM85 (0.17–0.21 eV). Using a temperature-dependent piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), we have found more responsive domain fragments in Nd-substituted films. The microscopic domain evolution from 298 to 448 K was done to further explain that the domain wall unpinning effect has been enhanced with increasing T. The correlation between microscopic domain dynamics and macroscopic electrical properties clearly demonstrates the effects of charged domain wall in Nd-doped BTM thin films during the fatigue tests.

Effects of Nd doping on the mechanical properties and electronic structures of Gd2Zr2O7: a first-principles-based study

Doping of cations in A2B2O7-type pyrochlores, either on A or B site, can modify the physical properties of compounds significantly. In this work, the structural, thermo-mechanical and electronic properties of Nd-doped Gd2Zr2O7 pyrochlores (Gd2−yNdyZr2O7 and Gd2Zr2−yNdyO7) have been investigated by density functional theory calculations. It is found that the Nd incorporation into Gd-site leads to the formation of Gd2Zr2O7-Nd2Zr2O7 solid solutions, which remain the pyrochlore-type structures, whereas the introduction of Nd into Zr-site induces a pyrochlore-to-defect fluorite structural transition. Further calculations show that Nd substitution for Gd-site has a minor effect on the thermal–mechanical and electronic properties of Gd2Zr2O7. However, incorporation of Nd into Zr-site results in smaller Young’s modulus, better ductility, stronger elastic anisotropy and lower Debye temperature than pure Gd2Zr2O7. In addition, the incorporation of Nd into Zr-site results in an increasing number of electrons locating at the Fermi level with the increasing concentration of substitutional Nd atoms, which eventually leads to an insulating-to-metallic transition. This study suggests that incorporation of Nd into Zr-site can be an alternative way to tune the mechanical, electronic, and thermal properties of Gd2Zr2O7.

Nd3+ Doping effect on the optical and electrical properties of SnO2 thin films prepared by nebulizer spray pyrolysis for opto-electronic application

Neodymium doped tin oxide (Nd: SnO2) thin films were deposited on heated glass substrates with different Nd concentrations (0, 2, 4 and 6 %) by nebulizer spray pyrolysis method. Effects of Nd doping on structural, optical and electrical properties of the prepared films were investigated. X-ray diffraction study confirmed that all the deposited Nd: SnO2 films are in polycrystalline tetragonal structure with (211) preferential orientation. FESEM images showed that the prepared SnO2 particles are in nano-size in spherical shape, completely covering the substrate. AFM topology showed smooth deposition of the films with minimum surface roughness. The films showed maximum optical transmittance 90 % in the visible region with a band gap value 3.67 eV, also showed low refractive index and extinction coefficients. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum exhibited a strong UV emission peak at 356 nm for all the films. All the Nd: SnO2 films displayed n-type conductivity with low electrical resistivity 5.88 × 10−4 (Ω cm) for 4 % Nd doping. As the films showed good figure of merit (ϕ) values, these Nd doped SnO2 thin films can perform better role in optoelectronic device.

Nd-doped LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 as a cathode material for better rate capability in high voltage cycling of Li-ion batteries

Layered Nd-doped LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) compounds were successfully synthesized via a coprecipitation-assisted solid-phase method in this work. The effects of Nd doping on the crystal structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties were characterized thoroughly using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, and electrochemical tests. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data indicated that the Nd-doped samples had lower cation mixing than the raw NCM523. The SEM and EDX mapping characterization results demonstrated that Nd atoms were uniformly distributed in NCM523. At 1C and 10C, the Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)0.992Nd0.008O2 materials exhibited initial discharge capacities of 189.7 and 101.5mAhg−1, respectively, with capacity retentions of 83.3% and 88%, respectively, compared to those of NCM523 (68.1% and 52.5%, respectively) with a cutoff voltage of 4.8V after 100 cycles. It was found that NCM523 doped with Nd3+ ions can expand lithium ion diffusion channels in the layered structure and stabilize the structure of the material.

The effects of Nd doping on the morphology and optical properties of CeO2 nanorods

CeO2 nanorods have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis route only using Na3PO4·6H2O as mineralizer without any surfactant or template. XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman scattering, Photoluminescence spectra and UV–vis were employed to characterize the samples. The results showed that all the samples have a fluorite cubic structure and there are Ce3+ ions and oxygen vacancies in the surface of non-doped CeO2 nanorods. The visible luminescence exhibits similar emission peaks of room temperature photoluminescence and the emission intensity increases with the increase of concentration of Nd ions and then decrease. The band gap decreases with the increase of dopant, Nd3+ ions result in an effective red shifting of the band gap.

Effects of sintering parameters and Nd doping on the microwave dielectric properties of Y2O3 ceramics

Y2O3 ceramics with good dielectric properties were prepared via co-precipitation reaction and subsequent sintering in a muffle furnace. The effects of Nd doping and sintering temperature on microwave dielectric properties were studied. With the increase in sintering temperature, the density, quality factor (Q×f), and dielectric constant (εr) values of pure Y2O3 ceramics increased to the maximum and then gradually decreased. The Y2O3 ceramics sintered at 1500°C for 4h showed optimal dielectric properties: εr=10.76, Q×f=82, 188GHz, and τf=−54.4ppm/°C. With the addition of Nd dopant, the Q×f values, εr, and τf of the Nd: Y2O3 ceramics apparently increased, but excessive amount degraded the quality factor. The Y2O3 ceramics with 2at% Nd2O3 sintered at 1460°C displayed good microwave dielectric properties: εr=10.4, Q×f=94, 149GHz and τf=−46.2ppm/°C.

Hydrophilic and photocatalytic activities of Nd-doped titanium dioxide thin films

The Nd-doped TiO2 thin films with higher hydrophilic and photocatalytic activities were prepared on glass slides by an acid-catalyzed sol–gel method. The effects of Nd doping on crystalline phase, surface composition and optical property were investigated by means of techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), optical contact angle tester and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results show that Nd doping obviously influences the hydrophilic and photocatalytic activities of TiO2 thin films. Nd doping could cause the TiO2 lattice distortion, inhibit phase transition from anatase to rutile, cause red shift of the absorption spectrum edge, produce hydroxyl radicals (·OH), and accelerate surface hydroxylation, which result in a significant improvement in the hydrophilicity and photoreactivity of Nd-doped TiO2 thin films. When the content of Nd is 0.1% (mass fraction), TiO2 thin films achieve the smallest grain size (about 15 nm), and the hydrophilic and photocatalytic activities of TiO2 thin film reach the maximum, the contact angle is only 8.1°, and 92% of methylene blue is finally degraded. Moreover, the modification mechanism of Nd doping was also discussed.

Effects of structure, morphology, and up-conversion on Nd-doped BiVO4 system with high photocatalytic activity

Nd-doped BiVO4 photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activities have been synthesized by the microwave hydrothermal method. The effects of Nd doping on structural transformation, morphology, chemical valence, optical properties, and photocatalytic activities of Nd-doped BiVO4 photocatalysts were investigated systematically. It is found that Nd doping and pH of the reaction precursor can induce the stabilization of tetragonal zircon BiVO4, and Nd3+ ions have been incorporated into the BiVO4 lattice. The structure and morphology of BiVO4 play a significant role in the photocatalytic activity. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra of Nd-doped BiVO4 present four absorption peaks at 532, 590, 690 and 750nm due to the excitation of Nd3+ species. The strong up-conversion fluorescence spectra of Nd-doped BiVO4 suggest the existence of up-conversion process, and the value of k/BET could reflect the effect of up-conversion lively and directly in Nd-doped BiVO4 system. The contribution of high photodegradation activities to Nd-doped BiVO4 catalysts under simulated sun-light is mainly from UV-light region. The mechanism of up-conversion upon sun-light excitation is proposed in favor of the improved photocatalytic activities of Nd-doped BiVO4.

Effects of Nd-doping on the structure and electrochemical properties of Li3V2(PO4)3/C synthesized using a microwave solid-state route

Abstract Nd-doped Li 3 V 2 − x Nd x (PO 4 ) 3 /C (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08) cathode materials are successfully and fast synthesized by a microwave solid-state route. The effects of Nd-doping on the structure and electrochemical properties of Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C are investigated. Compared with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the undoped sample, these Nd-doped samples have no extra reflections, which indicate that Nd enters the structure of the Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C cathode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that Nd-substitution in Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C has regular and uniform particles. According to the results of charge/discharge measurements at 0.1 C rate, the initial capacities of the Nd-doped samples are all higher than that of the undoped sample which is 140 mAh g − 1 . Among all the doped samples, Li 3 V 1.96 Nd 0.04 (PO 4 ) 3 /C shows the best rate capability and cycling stability. The initial discharge capacity of Li 3 V 1.96 Nd 0.04 (PO 4 ) 3 /C is 157 mAh g − 1 with the capacity retention ratio of 92.5% after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. Especially, it still shows a high discharge capacity of 126 mAh g − 1 even at a higher rate of 5.0 C. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveals that the charge transfer resistance of as-prepared samples is reduced through Nd-substitution and its reversibility is enhanced as proved by the cyclic voltammograms (CV). The improved electrochemical properties of Nd-doped Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C can be attributed to the optimizing particle size and structural stability due to the proper amount of Nd-doping in V sites.

Effects of Nd-doping on optical and photovoltaic properties of barium titanate thin films prepared by sol–gel method

Nd-doped barium titanate thin films were prepared via sol–gel spin-coating method and effects of Nd content on microstructure, optical and photovoltaic properties have been investigated. The results show that Nd-doped barium titanate thin films are single tetragonal perovskite phase. Addition of neodymium to some extent can inhibit the grain growth. Substitution of Nd3+ ions for Ba2+ on A sites leads to the decrease of band gap. The remnant polarization begins to increase and reach the maximum and then decreases as Nd content increases. The short circuit photocurrent density, open circuit photovoltage and power conversion efficiency of Nd-doped barium titanate thin films begin to increase and reach the maximum and then decrease as Nd content increases.