Lattice Parameters Research Articles

Exploring the structural, magnetic and shielding performance of Mn doped Yb2O3 and Eu2O3 nanostructures

Re2-xMnxO3 (ReYb or Eu, x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) nanostructures were produced utilizing the sol-gel procedure. The crystal structure and microstructure of all samples were analyzed based on XRD measurements using the Rietveld profile approach. The lattice parameter, cation distribution of different cations between different crystallographic sites, bond lengths of different polyhedrons, crystallite size, micro-strain and distortion index of the different polyhedrons of the formed sample were determined. Mn cations were found to prefer the 8b sites of the cubic bixbyite structure. The average crystallite size decreased following doping, while the microstrain experienced a significant increase. The low temperature dependent magnetizations for Yb1.85Mn0.15O3 and Eu1.85M0.15O3 nanostructures under a magnetic field of 200 Oe were investigated. Curie–Weiss law was employed to determine the magnetic configuration of the samples. The values of the effective magnetic moments μeff are 4.89 μB and 3.77 μB for Yb1.85Mn0.15O3 and Eu1.85M0.15O3, whereas the calculated values are 4.531 μB and 3.535 μB, respectively. The shielding properties of Re2-xMnxO3 (ReYb or Eu) nanostructures were studied using the Phy-X/PSD simulation program. The linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) and mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) values of the Yb2-xMnxO3 samples are greater than those of the Eu2-xMnxO3 samples. The half value length (HVL) and tenth value length (TVL) values increased as Mn was added to Re1.85Mn0.15O3 nanostructures. Yb1.85Mn0.05O3 and Eu1.85Mn0.05O3 nanostructures have the highest mean free path (MFP) values of 3 cm and 4 cm, respectively, at an energy of 5 MeV. The exposure build-up factor (EBF), and energy absorption build-up factor (EABF) values affected by the host rare earth oxide and the amount of Mn doping. The Re1.85Mn0.15O3 nanostructures exhibit a greater capacity to absorb photons with lower energy rather than higher energy. Yb1.85Mn0.15O3 nanostructure demonstrates exceptional neutron shielding capacities.

A First-Principles Study of the Structural, Elastic, and Mechanical Characteristics of Mg2Ni Subjected to Pressure Conditions

This study employs first-principles calculations to examine structural, elastic, and mechanistic relationships of Mg2Ni alloys under varying conditions of pressure. The investigation encompasses Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and anisotropy index, as well as sound velocity, Debye temperature, and related properties. Our findings indicate that the lattice parameters of Mg2Ni in its ground state are in agreement with values obtained experimentally and from the literature, confirming the reliability of the calculated results. Furthermore, a gradual decrease in the values of the lattice parameters a/a0 and c/c0 is observed with increasing pressure. Specifically, the values for C13 and C33 decrease at a hydrostatic pressure of 5 GPa, while C11 and C13 increase when the external hydrostatic pressure exceeds 5 GPa. All other elastic constants exhibit a consistent increasing trend with increasing pressure between 0 and 30 GPa, with C11 and C12 increasing at a faster rate than C44 and C66. In the 0–30 GPa pressure range, Mg2Ni satisfies the mechanical stability criterion, indicating its stable existence under these conditions. Additionally, the Poisson’s ratio of Mg2Ni consistently exceeds 0.26 over a range of pressures from 0 to 30 GPa, signifying ductility and demonstrating consistency with the value of B/G. The hardness of Mg2Ni increases within the pressure range of 0–5 GPa, but decreases above 5 GPa. Notably, the shear anisotropy of Mg2Ni exhibits greater significance than the compressive anisotropy, with its anisotropy intensifying under higher pressures. Both the sound anisotropy and the Debye temperature of Mg2Ni demonstrate an increasing trend with rising pressure.

Immobilization of 137Cs in NaY type zeolite matrices using various heat treatment methods

The accumulation of liquid radioactive waste presents a significant global challenge, necessitating effective strategies for safe management. This study investigates the immobilization of 137Cs radionuclides, a prominent component of liquid radioactive waste, in ceramic matrices based on 137Cs-saturated NaY Faujasite zeolite. Various thermal methods were employed, including cold pressing and sintering, cold pressing and sintering with microwave assistance, hot pressing, and spark plasma sintering, to enhance immobilization capabilities. Zeolite powder was saturated with 137Cs radionuclides using an adsorption technique with low-activity model liquid radioactive waste. In-situ XRD and dilatometry methods were used to study the thermal behavior during NaY Faujasite annealing. The influence of calcination temperature on lattice parameters and crystallite size was assessed. Immobilization effectiveness was evaluated through relative density, Vickers microhardness, compressive strength, and metal ion leaching kinetics. Mechanistic evaluation was performed using XRD and SEM-EDX studies. Results showed that spark plasma sintering exhibited the highest efficiency for immobilizing 137Cs radionuclides in NaY Faujasite matrices. This research contributes to liquid radioactive waste management by providing insights into the thermal behavior and enhanced immobilization capabilities of ceramic matrices.

A systematic first-principles investigation of the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of Half-Heusler ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) for spintronics and optoelectronics applications.

This paper is the first to look at the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of the ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) half-Heusler (HH) using DFT based first principles method. The lattice parameters that we have calculated are very similar to those obtained in prior investigations with theoretical and experimental data. The positive phonon dispersion curve confirm the dynamical stability of ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn). The electronic band structure and DOS confirmed that the studied materials ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) are direct band gap semiconductors. The investigation also determined significant constants, including dielectric function, absorption, conductivity, reflectivity, refractive index, and loss function. These optical observations unveiled our compounds potential utilization in various electronic and optoelectronic device applications. The elastic constants were used to fulfill the Born criteria, confirming the mechanical stability and ductility of the solids ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn). The calculated elastic modulus revealed that our studied compounds are elastically anisotropic. Moreover, ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) has a very low minimum thermal conductivity (Kmin), and a low Debye temperature (θD), which indicating their appropriateness for utilization in thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. The Helmholtz free energy (F), internal energy (E), entropy (S), and specific heat capacity (Cv) are determined by calculations derived from the phonon density of states.

Sol-gel derived ternary CrxCuCx-1 compounds: Characterization, structural insights and biological properties

This research explores a novel method for synthesizing Cr-Cu-C ternary carbide using a sol-gel technique. The study targeted to produce a wide range of transition metal carbides within the Cr-Cu-C system by varying the elemental ratios. The primary goal was to observe how compositional changes affect the morphological, structural, and chemical properties of the resulting ternary compounds resembling the MAX phase. Another focus is to establish a practical synthesis route and evaluating the materials' suitability for different applications. The synthesis process involved combining metal nitrates and citric acid, followed by carbothermal reduction. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy, were employed to thoroughly recognize the prepared materials. In XRD, the calculated lattice parameters indicated hexagonal structures for all the prepared ratios, confirming successful synthesis and providing insights into their morphological and chemical properties. This has also been supported with other characterization techniques, Additionally, the Cr-Cu-C materials demonstrated strong antifungal and antibacterial effects against Candida albicans, E. coli, and B. cereus, highlighting their potential for biomedical applications. Furthermore, their anti-cancer potential against HepG2 liver cancer cells was assessed, showing effectiveness and inhibition among the samples. These findings highlight the potential of the synthesized Cr-Cu-C materials in diverse biomedical applications, supported by their structural integrity, morphological features, and antimicrobial properties.

Periodic DFT calculations to compute the attributes of a quantum material: honeycomb ruthenium trichloride.

Quantum spin liquids (QSLs) have become prominent materials of interest in the pursuit of fault-tolerant materials for quantum computing applications. This is due to the fact that these materials are theorized to host an interesting variety of quantum phenomena such as quasi-particles that may behave as anyons as a result of the high entangled nature of the spin states within the systems. Computing the electronic and magnetic properties of these materials is necessary in order to understand the underlying interactions of the materials. In this paper, the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties including lattice parameters, bandgap, Heisenberg coupling constants, and Curie temperatures for α-RuCl3, a promising candidate for the Kitaev QSL model, are computed using periodic density functional theory. Furthermore, various parameters of the calculations (i.e. functional choice, basis set, k-point density, and Hubbard correction) are varied in order to determine what effect, if any, the computational setup has on the computed properties. The results of this study indicate that PBE functional with Hubbard corrections of 1.5-2.5 eV with a k-point density of 3.0 points per Å-1 appear to be the best parameters to compute Heisenberg coupling constants for α-RuCl3. These parameters with the addition of spin orbit coupling works well for computing Curie temperatures for α-RuCl3. Distinct differences are noted in the computations of the bulk structure vs. monolayer structures, indicating that interactions between the layers play a role in the material properties and changes to the inter-layer spacing may result in interesting and unique magnetic properties that require further investigation.

Hydrostatic pressure-induced transformations and multifunctional properties of Francium-based halide perovskite FrCaCl3: Insights from first-principles calculations

Under varying hydrostatic pressures ranging from 0 to 150 GPa, first-principles calculations were conducted to investigate the structural, electronic, bonding, optical, elastic, and mechanical characteristics of the Lead (Pb)-free halide perovskite FrCaCl3 using both the GGA and hybrid HSE06 parameterized density functional theory (DFT). Since the FrCaCl3 cubic perovskite has not yet been synthesized experimentally, its structural and thermodynamic stabilities are confirmed by the Goldschmidt tolerance factor, the octahedral factor, and the formation energy. The induction of pressure has caused a simultaneous decrease in both the lattice parameters and the electronic band gap. Applying the hybrid HSE06 potential refines the accuracy of the band gap, with values decreasing from 5.705 to 2.618 eV from 0 to 150 GPa pressure, suggesting improved optoelectronic attributes. Employing pressure facilitates the formation of stronger chemical bonds characterized by reduced bond lengths. The investigation of optical functions demonstrates that with increased pressure ranging to 150 GPa, the optical conductivity along with the absorption coefficient is oriented towards the low-energy region. The FrCaCl3 perovskite has the prospect to be used in X-ray imaging and other fields of nuclear medicine and diagnostics as it contains the radioactive element Francium (Fr). Additionally, it is found via the study of mechanical characteristics that FrCaCl3 is mechanically stable under various applied pressure, and adding pressure makes it more ductile as well as more anisotropic.

Exploring bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet: Insights into structural, optical, and dielectric characteristics

Magnetic garnets, a diverse group of magnetic insulating materials, have been the subject of extensive research for decades, owing to their versatility and potential for a wide range of applications. In this study, we synthesized Bismuth-Substituted Yttrium Iron Garnet (BiY2Fe5O12: BiYIG) using the solid-state reaction method to explore its structural, optical, and dielectric characteristics. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the attainment of a pure cubic garnet phase in BiYIG, with a lattice parameter of 12.444 Å. Using UV–visible spectroscopy, we determined that the optical band gap of BiYIG is 2.2 eV, indicating n-type semiconductor behavior. We conducted a thorough investigation of the dielectric properties, examining capacitance, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, conductivity, impedance, and modulus, as functions of frequency and temperature. The impedance results revealed that the dielectric relaxation at room temperature was dominated by a Debye-type process, with a shift to a non-Debye-type process becoming apparent as temperature increased. Comprehensive analysis sheds light on the material's transport phenomena and optical attributes, offering insights into the potential of BiYIG for applications in magneto-dielectric and magneto-optical domains, given its high dielectric constant with low dielectric loss, and promising optical properties. These findings position BiYIG as a versatile material and underscore its suitability for advanced applications in future technological developments.

Study of Microstructure, Morphology and Functional Groups of Titanium Dioxide (Tio2) Impregnated With Copper (Cu)

This research aims to determine the differences in the microstructure, morphology, and functional groups of TiO2 (P-25) after being impregnated with Cu. Cu-impregnated TiO2 samples are synthesized using the impregnation method with TiO2 (P-25) and copper sulfate as precursors. The microstructure and functional groups of TiO2 (P-25) and Cu-TiO2 were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The lattice parameters (a, b, and c) of the TiO2 sample were found to be a = b = 0.3778 nm, c = 0.9494 nm, and these values increased to a = b = 0.3779 nm, c = 0.9496 nm after the addition of Cu. The distance between the lattices of the TiO2 sample was measured at 0.3505 nm and increased to 0.3509 nm after Cu addition. The average crystallite size of the TiO2 sample was 33 nm, which increased to 43 nm after Cu impregnation. The strain value decreased from 2.76×10^(-3) to 1.82×10^(-3) after Cu addition. SEM results revealed that the morphology of the particles from the Cu-doped synthesis showed agglomeration. The success of Cu doping was confirmed by EDX mapping, which showed the presence of Ti, O, and Cu evenly distributed on the TiO2 surface. The FTIR spectrum indicated that TiO2 (P-25) and Cu-TiO2 particles had absorption peaks at similar wave numbers. However, in the absorption area of 1000 cm^-1 to 1250 cm^-1, new absorption bands affiliated with Cu-O bonds appeared in the Cu-TiO2 sample, resulting from TiO2 vibrations after Cu addition.

Investigations on structural and opto-electrical characterization of Ag-TCNQ (metal-organic frameworks) as complex thin films for potential device applications

The silver- (7, 7, 8, 8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (Ag-TCNQ) organometallic complex was synthesized chemically as a nano-powder and thereafter deposited as a thin film by thermal evaporation. The monoclinic, needle-like, polycrystalline structure of the Ag-TCNQ complex was analyzed employing x-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Whereas their chemical structure and stability were explored using Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) techniques. The findings imply a charge transfer of degree −0.5 between TCNQ° and TCNQ−, as revealed by the shift of the bands of the C≡N stretching and the (C═C-H) bond positioned at 2198 and 824 cm−1, respectively. As well as the optical properties of Ag-TCNQ thin film were studied using spectrophotometric measuring in the wavelength ranging 200 to 2500 nm. The measurement of transmittance and reflectance spectra were employed to calculate the refractive index (n), dielectric constant, absorption index (k), surface and volume energy loss functions, and optical conductivity. In the normal dispersion zone, optical characteristics such free charge carrier concentration, infinity dielectric constant (ε ∞), lattice dielectric constant (ε L), oscillator energy (Eo), and dispersion energy (Ed) were estimated. Furthermore, the optoelectronic nonlinear optical features and electronic transitions for the Ag-TCNQ thin film were assessed. Finally, these findings are promising milestones on the path to providing convincing evidence for the synthesis of stoichiometric thermally stable Ag-TCNQ thin film by conventional thermal evaporation technique that is potential to be utilized in optoelectronic devices applications.

Probing the Spatial Homogeneity of Exfoliated HfTe5 Films.

In van der Waals materials, external strain is an effective tool to manipulate and control electronic responses by changing the electronic bands upon lattice deformation. In particular, the band gap of the layered transition metal pentatelluride HfTe5 is sufficiently small to be inverted by subtle changes of the lattice parameters resulting in a strain-tunable topological phase transition. In that case, knowledge about the spatial homogeneity of electronic properties becomes crucial, especially for the microfabricated thin film circuits used in typical transport measurements. Here, we reveal the homogeneity of exfoliated HfTe5 thin films by spatially resolved Raman microscopy. Comparing the Raman spectra under applied external strain to unstrained bulk references, we pinpoint local variations of Raman signatures to inhomogeneous strain profiles in the sample. Importantly, our results demonstrate that microfabricated contacts can act as sources of significant inhomogeneities. To mitigate the impact of unintentional strain and its corresponding modifications of the electronic structure, careful Raman microscopy constitutes a valuable tool for quantifying the homogeneity of HfTe5 films and circuits fabricated thereof.

Exploring the Capability of Cu-MoS2 Catalysts for Use in Electrocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Herein, we prepare MoS2 and Cu-MoS2 catalysts using the solvothermal method, a widely accepted technique for electrocatalytic overall water-splitting applications. TEM and SEM images, standard tools in materials science, provide a clear view of the morphology of Cu-MoS2. HRTEM analysis, a high-resolution imaging technique, confirms the lattice spacing, lattice plane, and crystal structure of Cu-MoS2. HAADF and corresponding color mapping and advanced imaging techniques reveal the existence of the Cu-doping, Mo, and S elements in Cu-MoS2. Notably, Cu plays a crucial role in improving the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of the Cu-MoS2 catalyst as compared with the MoS2 catalyst. In addition, the Cu-MoS2 catalyst demonstrates significantly lower overpotential (167.7 mV and 290 mV) and Tafel slopes (121.5 mV dec−1 and 101.5 mV dec−1), standing at −10 mA cm−2 and 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively, compared to the MoS2 catalyst. Additionally, the Cu-MoS2 catalyst displays outstanding stability for 12 h at −10 mA cm−2 of HER and 12 h at 10 mA cm−2 of OER using chronopotentiaometry. Interestingly, the Cu-MoS2‖Cu-MoS2 cell displays a lower cell potential of 1.69 V compared with the MoS2‖MoS2 cell of 1.81 V during overall water splitting. Moreover, the Cu-MoS2‖Cu-MoS2 cell shows excellent stability when using chronopotentiaometry for 18 h at 10 mA cm−2.

Enhanced Ferromagnetism and Tunable Magnetic Anisotropy in a van der Waals Ferromagnet.

2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets have recently emerged as a promising material system for spintronic device innovations due to their intriguing phenomena in the reduced dimension and simple integration of magnetic heterostructures without the restriction of lattice matching. However, it is still challenging to realize Curie temperature far above room temperature and controllable magnetic anisotropy for spintronics application in 2D vdW magnetic materials. In this work, the pressure-tuned dome-like ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase diagram in an iron-based 2D layered ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2 is reported. Continuously tunable magnetic anisotropy from out-of-plane to in-plane direction is achieved via the application of pressure. Such behavior is attributed to the competition between intralayer and interlayer exchange interactions and enhanced DOS near the Fermi level. The study presents the prominent properties of pressure-engineered 2D ferromagnetic materials, which can be used in the next-generation spintronic devices.

Influence of Post-Annealing Treatment on Some Physical Properties of Cerium Oxide Thin Films Prepared by the Sol–Gel Method

In this study, thin films of Cerium Oxide CeO2 were fabricated using the sol–gel technique and deposited onto a glass substrate. The annealing process was carried out at various temperatures ranging from 200 to 600 °C to investigate the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the films and their interrelations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed the crystalline nature of the prepared films, with film quality exhibiting enhancement with increasing annealing temperature. The average crystallite size, dislocation density, microstrain, and lattice constant were determined from XRD patterns. Higher annealing temperatures were found to increase the crystallite size values from 4.71 to 15.33 nm and decrease the dislocation density and microstrain of the unit cell. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images illustrated the uniformity of the films, presenting a spheroid shape. Optical properties such as transmittance, absorbance, reflectance, the direct band gap, extinction coefficients, the refractive index, and optical conductivity were assessed using optical measurements. The direct optical band gap of the CeO2 film was observed to decrease from 3.99 to 3.75 eV with increasing film thickness. Using the Wemple and DiDomenico (WDD) single-oscillator model, dispersion energy parameters were calculated based on the refractive index. The nonlinear optical properties of the CeO2 thin films were evaluated using these dispersion energy parameters. The improvement of optical parameters holds significance in standardizing CeO2 thin films for various optoelectronic applications.

Magnetic properties of the solid solutions CePt1−x Au x Al (x = 0.1–0.9)

Abstract Members of the solid solutions CePt1–x Au x Al have been synthesized from the elements and pure samples could be obtained for the whole range of x from 0.1–0.9. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the TiNiSi-type structure (orthorhombic, space group Pnma) for the whole series, consistent with the end members CePtAl and CeAuAl. The lattice parameters and therefore also the unit cell volumes evolve in a linear fashion when going from CePtAl to CeAuAl. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization investigations were performed for the compounds with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9. The results show that the ferromagnetic ground state of CePtAl gets destabilized for small degrees of substitution (x = 0.1) resulting in a lower Curie temperature. For larger values of x, changes towards an antiferromagnetic ground state are observed, in line with pure CeAuAl.

A comprehensive first-principles investigation of structural, electronic, vibrational, optical, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of LiZnAs

The structural, electronic, vibrational, optical, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of Nowotny–Juza filled tetrahedral semiconductor LiZnAs under high pressure is investigated using the plane-wave pseudo-potential approach in the frame work of density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The calculated lattice constant (a0) and bulk modulus (B0) at ambient pressure are consistent with earlier reported experiment and theoretical results. The variation in Lattice constant, Bulk modulus (B0), Young modulus (Y), Shear modulus (G), Elastic anisotropy factor (A), Poission ratio (μ), Paugh (B/G) ratio and Elastic constants with pressure is analyzed and concluded. Electronic band structure calculations reveal that with applied pressure direct band gap increases and the indirect band gap decreases. Thermodynamic properties reveals thermodynamically stability with pressurize conditions. The real and imaginary parts of the Dielectric function (ε), Refractive index (η), Extinction Coefficient (k), Optical Conductivity (s), Electron/Optical Energy Loss Function (L), Absorption Coefficient (α), Reflectivity (R) at different pressure conditions are correspondingly studied. With applied pressure the absorption spectra shows a blue shift which makes LiZnAs as potential candidates for the application of optoelectronic devices in ultraviolet frequency range. The thermoelectric properties like Seebeck coefficient (S), Electrical conductivity (σ), and Electronic thermal conductivity (k) and Power factor (PF) have been studied as a function of temperature and chemical potential. Positive value of calculated Seebeck coefficient with temperatures ensures the p-type semiconducting nature of LiZnAs. Results provides theoretical guidance for future experimental investigations and industrial applications of LiZnAs.

Impact of Gd-substitution on structural, dielectric, spectroscopic, Raman, and photo luminance properties of Ba0.4Sr0.6Co2Fe16O27 ceramics

This paper represents a detailed study of Gd3+ substitutions on Structural, Dielectric, Spectroscopic, Raman, and Photo luminance Properties of Ba0.4Sr0.6Co2Fe16O27 magnetic oxides were prepared using the sol-gel auto combustion method. All of these specimens were sintered at 1100 °C for 5 h. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) confirmed the single-phase detection and structural analysis. The lattice parameters a and c show the insignificant behavior 5.893–5.933 Å, and 32.049–32.476 Å with the concentration of gadolinium ions. The crystallite size ranged from 25 to 30 nm, demonstrating a growing tendency as Gd-substitution was enhanced. The discrepancy in the ionic radii of iron (Fe3+) and substituent elements (Gd3+) is the cause of the variation in cell volume and lattice constants. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of absorption bands (590 and 3000 cm−1) for prepared BaSr-based W-type hexa-ferrites. The vibrational bands of metal oxide ions are responsible for the 590 and 685 cm−1 peaks. The Raman spectrum showed six discrete, brittle peaks: 320, 440, 620, 690, 1300, and 1600 of synthesized nanomaterials—the dielectric constant and dielectric loss increase by substituting the Gd3+ ion. The dielectric parameters and dielectric loss at higher frequencies suggest that the prepared material may be excellent for switching, sensing, and high-frequency applications.

Impact of Gd-Substitution on Structural, Dielectric, Spectroscopic, Raman, and Photo luminance Properties of Ba0.4Sr0.6Co2Fe16O27 Ceramics

This paper represents a detailed study of Gd3+ substitutions on Structural, Dielectric, Spectroscopic, Raman, and Photo luminance Properties of Ba0.4Sr0.6Co2Fe16O27 magnetic oxides were prepared using the sol-gel auto combustion method. All of these specimens were sintered at 1100 ºC for five hours. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) confirmed the single-phase detection and structural analysis. The lattice parameters a and c show the insignificant behavior 5.893-5.933 Å, and 32.049-32.476 Å with the concentration of gadolinium ions. The crystallite size ranged from 25 to 30 nm, demonstrating a growing tendency as Gd-substitution was enhanced. The discrepancy in the ionic radii of iron (Fe3+) and substituent elements (Gd3+) is the cause of the variation in cell volume and lattice constants. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of absorption bands (590 and 3000 cm-1) for prepared BaSr-based W-type hexa-ferrites. The vibrational bands of metal oxide ions are responsible for the 590 and 685 cm-1 peaks. The Raman spectrum showed six discrete, brittle peaks: 320, 440, 620, 690, 1300, and 1600 of synthesized nanomaterials—the dielectric constant and dielectric loss increase by substituting the Gd3+ ion. The dielectric parameters and dielectric loss at higher frequencies suggest that the prepared material may be excellent for switching, sensing, and high-frequency applications.

Investigating the Influence of Cerium Doping on the Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnNiMgFe2-xCexO4 Soft Ferrites

The present work reports the optical, structural, and electrical properties of cerium-doped Zn0.6Ni0.2Mg0.2Fe2-xCexO4 soft ferrites by green synthesis method that unwrap transformative insights and find technological applications through X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectroscopy and IV-point probe techniques. Ferrites with different cerium concentrations (x = 0.0, 0.0250, 0.0375) show an enormous difference in the optical, structural, and electrical behavior of the ferrites. The crystallite size increases to 46.9 nm, with a concomitant increase in lattice constants up to 8.550 Å for x = 0.0375. A similar structural shift was noticed in X-ray and bulk densities from 5.031 to 4.982 g/cm³ and 3.83 to 3.97 g/cm³, respectively. The optical explorations revealed a remarkable bandgap reduction from 2.72 eV to 2.06 eV improving the utility of the material substantially in magneto-optic devices. Conversely, the refractive index increases from 2.431 to 2.605, and the imaginary dielectric constant goes up from 10.692 to 11.228, giving a herald of advancement in photonic technologies. Electrically, the study marks a drastic reduction in DC resistivity from 6.15×105 to 9.71×108 ohm-cm with the Ce doping, which indicates higher conductivity suitable for telecommunication. This extensive work on Ce-doped soft ferrites now opens up newer avenues of applications in electronics and magneto-optics, blending scientific inquiry with practical utility.

Magnetic response of Ho3+ doped Ni0.4Cu0.6HoyFe2-yO4 spinel ferrites and their correlation with crystallite size

This study investigates the magnetic response of Ho3+ doped Ni0.4Cu0.6HoyFe2-yO4 (y = 0.0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) spinel ferrites (SFs) and their correlation with crystallite size. The synthesis was achieved using a sol-gel auto-combustion (SGAC) route and performed different characterizations, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. The cubic spinel phase was verified via XRD in pure NCF and Ho3+ doped NCF samples. The lattice constant (a) was improved from 8.344 Å to 8.378 Å. The substitution of Ho3+ ions led to a decrease in porosity from 42.22% to 39.54%. The introduction of Ho3+ ions also reduced the crystallite size (D) from 37.05 nm to 27.72 nm. The specific surface area (S) was increased from 27.44 g/cm2 to 36.14 g/cm2 with the doping of Ho3+. The average particle size (DS) was decreased from 54 nm to 35 nm. The EDX and ICP-AES analyses confirmed the good agreement with the theoretical composition. The VSM measurements provided insights into their magnetic properties. Furthermore, the doping of Ho3+ ions enhanced coercivity (HC), while reducing saturation magnetization (MS) from 64.35 emu/g to 16.22 emu/g. The decrease in crystalline anisotropy (K) observed at higher concentrations of Ho3+ may result from the increase in coercivity, potentially attributable to the smaller crystallite size of the single-domain SFs particles. The single-phase matrix and their magnetic behaviour showed that the Ho3+ doped Ni-Cu SFs samples are suitable for high-frequency applications.