Synthesis of nano-structured Bi1−xBaxFeO3 ceramics with enhanced magnetic and electrical properties

Bi1−xBaxFeO3(x = 0, 0.2) compounds were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction method. Structural, morphological, magnetic and ferroelectric properties of the products were investigated systematically by employing X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, vibrating sample magnetometer as well as electrical evaluation techniques, respectively. The XRD results demonstrated distorted rhombohedral BiFeO3 crystal structure with the space group of R3c. However, 20wt% Ba doped sample underwent a structural phase transition from rhombohedral to distorted pseudo-cubic structure. FESEM images of the BiFeO3 sample calcined at 850 °C showed agglomerated nano-particles with a mean particle size of 60 nm, while Bi0.8Ba0.2FeO3 sample showed uniform cubic particles with a mean particle size of 220 nm. For Bi0.8Ba0.2FeO3 sample calcined at 850 °C, an anomaly in permittivity was observed in the vicinity of 370 °C which is around the Neel temperature of bismuth ferrite and is in agreement with the recent reports.