Synthesis and structural characterization of perovskite YFeO3 by thermal decomposition of a cyano complex precursor, Y[Fe(CN)6]•4H2O

DIEGO M. GIL; M. CAROLINA NAVARRO; M. CRISTINA LAGARRIGUE; J. GUIMPEL; R. E. CARBONIO; M. INÉS GÓMEZ

JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY

SPRINGER

Año: 2011 vol. 103 p. 889 - 896

1388-6150

The thermal decomposition of Y[Fe(CN)6].4H2O has been studied in order to investigate the formation of the multi-ferroic oxide YFeO3. The starting material (Y[Fe(CN)6].4H2O) and the decomposition products were characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, X-raypowder diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy. Metastable YFeO3 with hexagonal structure, space group P63/mmc, was obtained by thermal decompositionof Y[Fe(CN)6]4H2O at 600 C in air. Orthorhombic YFeO3 was obtained by the same method at T C 800 C in air. The crystal structure of orthorhombic YFeO3 was refined by Rietveld analysis using PXRD data. We found that it was slightly deficient in Y3+, which is in agreement with the small amount of Y2O3 found as impurity in the sample. The formula of the orthorhombicphase is Y0.986FeO3.