Solid-state Reaction Technique Research Articles

Upconversion, downshifting, quantum cutting and back energy trasfer from Yb3+ to Er3+ in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaTiO3 phosphor, intense NIR generation for communication

The perovskite based phosphor materials are widely used to increase the efficiency of solar cells. In this work, Er3+ doped and Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaTiO3 perovskite phosphor samples have been synthesized by solid state reaction technique at 1473 K. The phosphor samples show orthorhombic phase with Pnma (62) space group. The average crystallites and particles size of CaTiO3 are increased in presence of Er3+ and Yb3+ ions. Er3+ doped CaTiO3 phosphor samples give downshifting emission under 379 nm excitation. Though upconversion emission is seen in Er3+ under 980 nm excitation without Yb3+ ions in this host. The emission intensity of Er3+ ion is enhanced by 46 and 16 times for green and red emissions, respectively in presence of Yb3+. An intense quantum cutting (QC) emission is observed at 980 nm in presence of Yb3+ in CaTiO3:0.5Er3+ phosphor under 379 nm excitation. The QC efficiency has been found to be 119 % for CaTiO3:0.5Er3+/5 Yb3+ phosphor. Further an interesting phenomenon of back energy transfer (BEnT) from Yb3+ to Er3+ giving an intense NIR emission from Er3+ at 1002 and 1550 nm have been observed. The phosphor sample also shows an intrinsic optical bistablity (IOB) by upconversion. Thus, the prepared phosphor samples may be useful to increase the efficiency of c-Si solar cell, NIR emission for communication, bistable material and green light emitting source.

Fabrication of energy efficient P-i-G structure with novel dysprosium-doped yttrium calcium borate (Dy: Y2CaB10O19) phosphors: Highly efficient materials for cool white light emission conducive to green technology

Novel polycrystalline phosphor-yttrium calcium borate doped with dysprosium ions (Dy3+: Y2CaB10O19) was synthesized for the first time by solid-state reaction technique. The crystal structure was found to be monoclinic having C2 space group. SEM was performed to analyze the surface morphology of the phosphor materials and to assess the distribution of phosphor particles in the glass matrix. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the samples was studied to know the molecules present. The emission spectra by 350 nm excitation possessed characteristic peaks at 480 nm (blue) and 577 nm (yellow). The CIE chromaticity co-ordinate and correlated color temperature (CCT) were deduced to be (x = 0.3384, y = 0.3823) and 5297 K respectively. Luminescence decay time for the optimized phosphor was determined to be 0.70 ms. The prepared phosphors were embedded in the glass matrix at an elevated temperature of 1000 °C. The transmittance spectra of the prepared glass materials were recorded to analyze its transparency in the visible region. The internal quantum yield was deduced to be 53.91 %.

Investigation of structural, morphological, dielectric, optical, and ferroelectric-energy storage properties of [(1-x) BCT-(x) BZT] electroceramics

Extensive research and advancements have been progressed by the vast potential of eco-friendly dielectric capacitors in high-level electronic elements and high-performance pulsed power systems thus far. Ferroelectric ceramic materials exhibiting relaxor properties and significant dielectric constants are prime candidates for attaining exceptional energy storage capabilities. Herein, a lead-free (1-x) Ba0.9Ca0.1TiO3–xBaZr0.15Ti0.85O3 (abbreviated as (1-x) BCT-xBZT) solid solution system has been synthesized via the conventional solid-state reaction technique, with varying levels of BZT doping. The X-ray diffraction study confirmed pure perovskite structure formation in the prepared ceramics, and the coexistence of orthorhombic (O) (space group- Amm2) and tetragonal (T) (space group-P4mm) phases has been detected through the Rietveld refinement technique at room temperature. Rietveld refinement data and associated analysis highlight the gradual shift of crystal symmetry from Amm2 to P4mm as the x content increases. Replacing BZT in Ca-modified BaTiO3 has led to significant enhancements in microstructural properties and an increase in the width of the optical band gap. This, in turn, enhances energy storage capabilities compared to pure BCT. Incorporating BZT into BCT has led to the evolution of relaxor ceramics, a crucial development for achieving elevated levels of recoverable energy storage density. In this study, the solid solution comprising 0.6BCT-0.4BZT exhibits distinct traits, including a diffuse phase transition, high breakdown strength, shallow dielectric loss (tanδ <0.007), and significantly high dielectric constant. Due to enhanced electrical characteristics, the 0.6BCT-0.4BZT possesses very high saturation polarization of ∼48 μCcm−2, a total energy density of 1.71 J/cm3, and a recoverable energy density of 1.1 J/cm3. In addition, the optimized ceramics demonstrate concurrent achievement of high-frequency stability (10–250 Hz), fatigue resistance (up to 104 cycles), and favorable temperature stability (20–160°C). This study showcased a potential material candidate suitable for energy storage devices functioning within low to medium-electric fields.

Structural, vibrational and optical characterisations of Li2Ba3(P2O7)2:Cr3+ by solid-state reaction method

ABSTRACT Cr3+ doped Li2Ba3(P2O7)2 pyrophosphate nanopowder was successfully synthesised by solid-state reaction technique. The nanopowder was characterised by several techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals orthorhombic crystal structureand average crystallite size values 34.21 and 28.41 nm are determined by Debye Scherrer’s formula and Williamson-Hall (W-H) method. The morphology displayed both SEM and HR-TEM images are irregular stone-like shapes. EDS analysis confirms the constituted elements. The SAED patterns of HR-TEM with well matched with XRD data. FT-IR and Raman spectra analysis confirmed incorporation of Cr3+ in the Li2Ba3(P2O7)2 pyrophosphate nanopowder. The EPR spectrum exhibited signal at g = 1.968 which is attributed to interaction between Cr3+ and Cr3+ exchange pair. The site symmetry of Cr3+ ions occupy a distorted octahedral. Photoluminescence spectrum exhibited bands correspond to ultraviolet, blue and green regions. The evaluated CCT of 6517 K indicates yellowish-green emission near cold light which reveals that the present prepared sample is useful for LEDs applications.

Electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance of Sr3Fe2+xMo1–xO9–3x/2 (x = 0.45, 0.60, and 1.00) prepared by the solid-state reaction

In this paper, we focus on understanding the behavior of the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity (ρ) and magnetoresistance (MR) in Sr3Fe2+xMo1–xO9–3x/2 perovskites with x = 0.45, 0.60, and 1.00. Three polycrystalline materials were synthesized using conventional solid-state reaction techniques. Rietveld analysis of room-temperature X-ray diffraction data reveals that all three compositions crystallize in tetragonal symmetry; where x = 0.45 and 0.60 undergo an I4/mcm space group, while x = 1.00 adopts a P4/mmm space group. Electrical resistivity measurements carried out at magnetic fields (0 and 1 T) reveal the presence of a transition from the ferromagnetic phase to the paramagnetic phase in the vicinity of the TMI. The metal-insulator transition temperature (TMI) decreases with increasing Fe content and rises slightly with changing magnetic field from 0 to 1 T. The magnetoresistance (MR) of the SrFeO3–δ sample (x = 1.00) has a large value of about 63.6 %, indicating that it can be exploited for certain devices. A variety of theoretical models are used to study the behavior of electrical resistivity in various temperature ranges, showing excellent agreement with experimental results.

Impact of gadolinium doping on BiFeO3-PbZrO3 for energy storage applications: Structural, microstructural, and thermistor properties

The solid-state reaction technique is used to prepare the Gd-doped BiFeO3-PbZrO3 at concentrations x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20 with chemical formula 0.5(BiGdxFe1-xO3)-0.5(PbZrO3). Room-temperature XRD data are used to compute structural characteristics, such as dislocation density, microstrain, crystallite size, and percentage of crystallinity. The SEM micrographs indicate the spherical, tightly packed nature of materials with limited porosity. The extent to which the composites work at high temperatures (175–400 °C) as NTC thermistors. Understanding the properties of the NTC thermistor requires the calculation of the resistor constant, sensitivity index, and activation energies. Based on the frequency- and temperature-dependent AC conductivity of the composites, a high density of states was calculated.

Colour tuning in Sm3+ activated and Sm3+/Eu3+ co-activated SrBi4Ti4O15 phosphors for w-LED applications

SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBT) phosphors activated by Sm3+ and co-activated by Eu3+ have been synthesized in the current research using a straightforward solid-state reaction technique. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirms the sample's crystallinity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and elemental mapping have been used to analyse the morphology and elemental composition of the synthesized phosphor. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis has confirmed the vibrational characteristics of the as prepared phosphor. Photoluminescence studies show increase in luminescence intensity in case of Sm3+/Eu3+ co-activated phosphors as compared with singly doped Eu3+ and Sm3+ activated SBTO phosphors. Colour tunability was also observed from reddish-orange to pure red region when Sm3+ activated phosphors were co-activated with Eu3+ ions. These outcomes demonstrate that SrBi4Ti4O15 phosphors activated or co-activated with Sm3+ and Eu3+ can be deployed in w-LEDs and other display devices applications.

Optical and photoluminescence properties of trivalent rare earth ions doped LiMgPO4

Trivalent rare-earth-activated luminescent materials have attracted a lot of attention due to their fascinating optical properties and broad range of applications. In this study, polycrystalline Sm and Eu-doped LiMgPO4 luminescent materials were synthesized using a solid-state reaction technique. The crystalline structures, morphological features, and optical characteristics of the synthesized materials were thoroughly investigated using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and UV–vis spectroscopy. The Rietveld refinement analysis confirmed the phase purity of synthesized phosphors. In addition, the strain induced owing to the incorporation of trivalent rare-earth ions and crystallite sizes of each synthesized material was estimated using the Williamsons-Hall (W-H) and modified Debye-Sherrer equations. The estimated results of the microstrain were reported to be 0.0010, 0.0023 and 0.0020. Subsequently, as a consequence of distinct peak profile options, the projected average crystallite size by both approaches was distinct. The UV–vis spectroscopy analysis reveals that Sm and Eu doped materials exhibit absorption bands around 402 nm and 396 nm and depicts the declining band gap values. The Photoluminescence (PL) spectra at 402 nm and 395 nm excitation wavelengths exhibited the distinctive emissions of both Sm3+ (4G5/2 → 6H7/2) and Eu3+ (5D0 → 7F2) ions emanating due to the intra-configurational f - f and 4 f − 4 f transitions. Finally, the CIE diagram explicitly demonstrates that the Sm and Eu-modified materials reveal their exceptional color purity. McCamy’s approach was used to determine various parameters of trivalent rare-earth doped materials. The correlated color temperature ( TCCT ) and their coordinates TCCT (ζ, β) was found to be 2287 K, 1900 K, 0.281, 0.632, and 0.302, 0.681 respectively. Temperature-dependent emission spectra exhibit excellent color and thermal stability at high temperatures. The obtained results in this study indicate that the synthesized luminescent materials can potentially be used in white light-emitting diode applications.

Novel sr-doped NdMn0.5Cr0.5O3-δ electrodes for symmetrical solid oxide fuel cell

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have emerged as promising energy conversion devices, offering high efficiency and environmental sustainability. Efficient electrode materials are crucial for the overall cell performance of SOFCs. Perovskite type Nd1-xSrxMn0.5Cr0.5O3-δ (x = 0.25, 0.5) (NSCM25, NSCM50) was synthesized via conventional solid-state reaction technique. Structural, thermal and electrochemical characterizations were performed using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, conductivity measurements, scanning electron microscope, thermal expansion coefficient analysis and impedance spectroscopy. Structural analysis revealed that both compositions exhibit orthorhombic symmetry in the Pbnm space group. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated minimal weight changes in both pre-reduced and as-prepared samples. The electrical conductivities in air at 600 ℃ were found to be 1.69 S/cm for NSCM25 and 4.91 S/cm for NSCM50, with a decrease observed under reduced oxygen partial pressure. Polarization resistance (Rp) analysis was conducted on symmetrical cells composed of NSCM25|GDC|NSCM25, NSCM50|GDC|NSCM50, NSCM25|YSZ|NSCM25, and NSCM50|YSZ|NSCM50. At 900 ℃, the polarization resistances were 0.12 Ωcm2, 0.21 Ωcm2, 0.11 Ωcm2, and 0.67 Ωcm2, respectively. The results suggest that NSCM25 and NSCM50 hold promise as electrode materials for symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells (SSOFC) employing YSZ or GDC electrolyte.

Room temperature ferromagnetism in undoped and Fe doped Zn3P2 nanoparticles: Structural, optical and magnetic properties

In the current study, the structural, optical, and magnetic characteristics of Fe-doped Zn3P2 nanoparticles prepared by the solid-state reaction technique with various concentrations of Fe (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) were investigated. Studies using X-ray diffraction (XRD) verified that all of the produced samples had a tetragonal structure without any other phase, and that the lattice parameters increased (a = 8.090 Å, c = 11.421 Å to a = 8.120 Å, c = 11.499 Å) as the amount of dopant increased. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) performed on the sample demonstrates that the grain size is almost spherical. The size of agglomerations slightly increases with increasing dopant concentration. The results of an energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) are almost exactly what was anticipated for the atomic weight ratios. The optical bandgap of the samples went from being 1.406 eV to being 1.453 eV when the dopant concentration was raised. When excited at wavelengths of 210 nm and 240 nm, rather than 307 nm, very intensity Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra were detected in all of the samples. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) verified that magnetic moment is found to increase (0.08829 emu/g to 0.23125 emu/g) with increase of dopant concentration from 0.02 to 0.08.

Moderation of [Bi3+/Na1+] molar ratio for enhancement of dielectric and energy storage properties of NaNbO3 ceramics

Lead-free (Na1−3xBix)(Nb0.75Ti0.25)O3 (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.125 and 0.15) (NN-BT) ceramics were synthesized using solid-state reaction technique. The effect of Bi3+ into the crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric and energy storage properties of NNT ceramics were investigated. Pure NNT shows present perovskite structure with orthorhombic crystal structure at x ≤ 0.125, while Na3NbO8-NaNbO3 composite phase has been detected at x = 0.15. The tolerance factor (τ) decreased from 0.97 (x = 0.0) to 0.82 (0.15) which signified the composition deviated from perovskite structure at 0.15. Significant enhancement of dielectric constant at room temperature has been achieved by increasing Bi-content and the maximum value (∼1500) obtained at 0.1. The largest value of maximum polarization (Pmax) and smallest value of remnant polarization (Pr) were achieved at x = 0.1 due to orthorhombic NaNbO3 and rhombohedral (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3 coexistence phases. The substitution of monovalent (Na1+) by trivalent (Bi3+) lead to create sodium vacancies into the A-sites of NNT lattice subsequently increased the cations disorder and charge misfit. The maximum recoverable energy storage density (Wrec = 17.5 J cm−3) and energy storage efficiency (η = 80%) were achieved at x = 0.1, E ∼ 700 kV cm−1. Partially, (NNTB0.1) exhibit an outstanding stability of energy storage properties in terms of temperature range (25 to 150 °C) and frequency stability (2–20Hz). The present results imply the moderation ratio of Bi/Na plays an important role for enhancement of energy storage properties of NaNbO3 anti-ferroelectric ceramics.

Optimizing the Structure and Optical Properties of Lanthanum Aluminate Perovskite through Nb5+ Doping.

This work involves the introduction of niobium oxide into lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) via a conventional solid-state reaction technique to yield LaAlO3:Nb (LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ) samples with Nb5+ doping levels ranging from 0.00 to 0.25 mol%. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the effects of niobium doping on the phase evolution, defect control, and reflectance of LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ powder. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the perovskite structure in all powders, and XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal successful doping of Nb5+ into LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ. The surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results show that increasing the doping concentration of niobium leads to fewer microstructural defects. Oxygen vacancy defects in different compositions are analyzed at 300 K, and as the doping level increases, a clear trend of defect reduction is observed. Notably, LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ with 0.15 mol% Nb5+ exhibits excellent reflectance properties, with a maximum infrared reflectance of 99.7%. This study shows that LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ powder materials have wide application potential in the field of high reflectivity coating materials due to their extremely low microstructural defects and oxygen vacancy defects.

Microstructural and dielectric characteristics of the Ce-doped Bi\(_{2}\)FeMnO\(_{6}\)

A double-perovskite material Bi2FeMn0.94Ce0.06O6 (BFMCO) was synthesized by solid state reaction technique and characterized it by various techniques (structural, microstructural, dielectric, impedance and modulus properties). The material has an orthorhombic crystal structure with an average crystallite size of 52.4 nm, as revealed by X-ray diffraction data (XRD). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image shows the presence of nano rod-shaped grains and well-defined grain boundaries in this material, with an average grain size of 21.8 µm. The Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and color mapping confirm the purity and the composition of the material. The dielectric, impedance and modulus properties are investigated in the temperature range of 25℃ to 500℃ and frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz. The material exhibits a high dielectric constant at low frequency region and a low dielectric loss, which make it a suitable candidate for better energy storage devices. The impedance study reveals the negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior of the material. The modulus study indicates the non-Debye relaxation of the material. The semi-conducting nature of the material is verified by the semi-circular arcs observed in both Nyquist and Cole-Cole plots. Thermally activated conduction mechanism is confirmed from ac conductivity study.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Mg2Si0.3Sn0.7 via Bi-doping under high pressure

A series of n-type Mg2(Si0.3Sn0.7)1-xBix compounds with 0≤x≤0.02 were successfully synthesized through a combined approach involving solid-state reaction, high-pressure synthesis, and spark plasma sintering techniques. The method yielded homogeneously distributed single-phase materials at the micron scale, although minor compositional variations were detected within nanoscale precipitates embedded in the grains. The sample with Bi content of 0.01 exhibited enhanced thermoelectric properties, reaching a peak thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.45 at 700 K while maintaining an average ZT of about 1.1 over the temperature range of 300−773 K. The enhancement in thermoelectric performance is ascribed to the optimized carrier concentration, band convergence, and refined microstructure. The findings suggest a simplified approach to doping that could be beneficial in creating high-performance thermoelectric materials for energy conversion.

Effect of fluorine on terrace-ledge-kink morphology and valence state of copper and titanium ions in CaCu3Ti4O12

Ceramic CaCu3Ti4O12 (ССТО), Ca0.98Cu3Ti4O11.96F0.04 (CΔCTOF), and CaCu3Ti4O11.92F0.08 (CCTOF) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction technique. Fluorine stimulates the formation of Cu-depleted grains, Cu3+ ions, and Cu-rich composites CuO-xCCTO-yTiO2-zSiO2-wСaF2 (w < z < y < x < 1), which include parts of grinding bodies. The observed structures are distinct from simple grain boundaries of the perovskite phase. They exhibit a terrace-ledge-kink (TLK) morphology and, in some cases, the presence of twinning planes, both independent of fluorine content. They are responsible for the nanoscale barrier layer capacitance (NBLC) component of the dielectric response of both CCTO and CuO ceramics. Changes in the unit cell parameter a, and titanium and copper valences indicate that Ca2+ ions occupy part of Cu vacancies in the grains of CCTO and CCTOF. In CΔCTOF, Ti3+ ions in the copper sublattice were found for the first time using NMR. The maximum ε′1kHz = 6.9 × 104 demonstrates CΔCTOF and the minimum tan δ = 0.045 is characteristic of CCTOF.

Structural characterization and dielectric behavior of substituted bismuth niobate Bi17Nb3-4xV2xP2xO33 with fluorite-like structure

Structural, morphological, and dielectric properties of substituted bismuth niobates Bi17Nb3-4xV2xP2xO33 with a fluorite-like structure have been reported. The study focuses on substituting Nb5+ with V5+ and P5+ cations in Bi17Nb3O33. The resulting ceramics were synthesized using the solid-state reaction technique, and their crystal structure was analyzed using X-ray diffraction. The analysis confirmed the stabilization of the compounds in a single phase of a cubic fluorite structure. Structural refinement analysis has been performed for the compound Bi17Nb2.4V0.3P0.3O33 to investigate the details of the crystalline structure which was found to be a cubic fluorite structure at room temperature (space group Fm3‾m). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface morphology of the samples, which exhibited irregular shapes and heterogeneous size distribution. The dielectric properties of the ceramics were analyzed, and the dielectric permittivity (ε’) and loss factor (tan δ) were measured at different frequencies and temperatures. The results showed anomalies in each frequency-dependent curve, indicating a relaxation phenomenon. The electrical conductivity (σ) of the ceramics was studied, and it was found that the conductivity displayed a frequency-independent plateau at low frequencies, indicating a semiconductor behavior. The complex impedance spectra and electrical modulus analysis were also conducted to investigate the relaxation processes in the material.

Enhanced energy storage and temperature-stable dielectric properties in (1-x)[(Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5)0.94Ba0.06TiO3]-xLa0.2Sr0.7TiO3 lead-free relaxor ceramics

With the continuous growth in sustainable and renewable technologies, ceramic capacitors are emerging as a promising energy storage device. Lead-free (1-x)[(Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5)0.94Ba0.06TiO3]-xLa0.2Sr0.7TiO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.40) ceramics were prepared using the solid-state reaction technique for obtaining relaxor characteristics with improved energy storage density, efficiency, and temperature stability of dielectric permittivity. A high recoverable energy density (Wr) ∼ 2.39 J/cm3 with a good efficiency (η) of ∼ 75.21% was obtained for x = 0.30 composition under 220 kV/cm applied field. The specimen x = 0.30 exhibited excellent fatigue resistance during 105 cycles and good temperature stability of energy storage characteristics (Wr > 0.87 J/cm3, η > 74%) in the temperature range of 25–180 °C under 100 kV/cm. In addition, the temperature range in which the dielectric permittivity variation was less than ±15% was very wide (204 °C (63–267 °C) and 275 °C (39–314 °C) for x = 0.30 and 0.20 specimens, respectively). Significant improvements in material performance were attributed to A-site engineering, which resulted in a mixture of P4bm and R3c polar nano regions (PNRs), leading to reduced hysteresis loss and temperature-stable dielectric permittivity. Additionally, the size of PNRs ranged between 3 and 6 nm, with the P4bm phase dominating in the x = 0.30 specimen, leading to a large maximum polarization under an applied electric field. Therefore, (1-x)[(Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5)0.94Ba0.06TiO3]-xLa0.2Sr0.7TiO3 relaxor ceramics are promising for high energy density materials and electronic applications requiring high permittivity stability over a wide temperature range.

Impedance spectroscopy and conductivity studies of Sr(Bi3.9-xNdxLa0.1)(Ti3.975Zr0.025)O15 (x = 0.00, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1) ceramics

Sr(Bi3.9-xNdxLa0.1)(Ti3.975Zr0.025)O15 (x = 0.00, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1) ceramics were prepared by solid-state reaction technique. It was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS). The impedance spectroscopy and conductivity studies were investigated. XRD analysis indicated, the formation of a single-phase orthorhombic structure and particle size was found by SEM. The compositions were confirmed from their EDS spectra. Impedance plots were used as tools to analyze the sample behavior as a function of frequency and temperature. Cole-Cole plots were showed that a non-Debye relaxation. Conductivity measurements were performed on it.

Cobalt ferrite induced enhancement in the thermoelectric properties of zinc oxide composites

Thermoelectric (TE) material devices can be treated as an initiative to reduce global warming by scavenging waste heat and recycling it into useful electrical energy. In dual-phase materials, the energy filtering mechanism serves a significant role to enhance power factor by controlled electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient in connection with carrier concentration and carrier mobility. Here we performed the preparation of Cobalt Ferrite (CF) using mechanical alloying and the cf@zno composites via solid state reaction technique by varying stoichiometric weight between CF and ZnO. The magnetic, electric, and optical properties of the samples exposed the influence of CF on the TE properties of ZnO matrix. The cf7.5wt%@zno sample shows greater carrier mobility and moderate carrier concentration results the improved electrical conductivity value 4235 Sm−1 and hence achieved highest power factor 439 μWm−1K−2.

Structural, and complex impedance studies of ruddlesden-popper Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 oxide

The solid-state reaction technique was employed to synthesize the Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 oxide. The resulting pure phase powder was obtained by quenching the mixture in air from 1400 °C to room temperature. The Rietveld refinement of XRD data confirmed the tetragonal K2NiF4-type structure and I4/mmm space group. Upon analysis of the complex impedance, it was observed that the Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 sample exhibited two electrical equivalent circuits, which were needed to explain the impedance results. To investigate the electrical conductive properties of composite materials under different temperate conditions, Jonscher's power law expression was utilized. The calculated activation energies from both the analysis of the electrical circuit equivalent and the conductivity data were found to be closely similar. This supports the conclusion that ion hopping mechanism plays a key role in the transport of charges within the investigated materials. Additionally, it was observed that thermal activation predominantly governs the conduction process.