Structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Bi 1-x La x FeO 3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) synthesized by a mechanochemical route

CRISTÓBAL, ADRIÁN A.; RAMOS, CINTHIA P.; CONCONI, M. SUSANA; BERCOFF, PAULA G.; BOTTA, PABLO M.

MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2017 vol. 95 p. 292 - 299

0025-5408

Bi1-xLaxFeO3(0.0 £ x £ 0.4) powders were prepared by meansof a solid acid-base reaction induced by mechanochemical energy. Bi, La and Fechlorides were high-energy ball-milled with NaOH, yielding a mixture of Bi1-xLaxFeO3and NaCl. After heating and washing, nanoparticles of Bi1-xLaxFeO3were obtained as a main product, with low contents of secondary phases. Structural characterization was performed by X-raydiffraction (Rietveld refinement) and Raman spectroscopy. The hyperfinemagnetic behavior was analyzed by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy and themicrostructure of the particles was evaluated by transmission electronmicroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to investigate thethermal behavior of the samples and magnetic measurements at room temperaturewere also carried out. Crystal structure transitions as a function ofcomposition were identified. Moreover, an intricate magnetic behavior wasobserved, which was explained on the basis of the concomitant contribution oftwo different canting levels of the antiparallel spins.