Structural, optical and magnetic properties of the nanosized perovskite-like DyFeO3 prepared by modified co-precipitation method

We are happy to announce that Dr. Vu Thi Ngoc Anh and colleagues recently published their work entitled "Structural, optical and magnetic properties of the nanosized perovskite-like DyFeO3 prepared by modified co-precipitation method" in the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics.

Abstract:

In this work, DyFeO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized by an improved co-precipitation method via the hydrolysis of Dy³⁺ and Fe³⁺ cations in boiling water, using a 5% ammonia solution as the precipitation agent. The physicochemical characteristics of the samples calcined at 750, 850, and 950 °C for 60 min were evaluated using FTIR, Raman, PXRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, DRS, and VSM methods. The stable single-phase DyFeO₃ perovskite nanocrystals were obtained after calcination of the dried precursor at 750, 850, and 950 °C. According to PXRD, the average size of DyFeO₃ crystals was calculated to be approximately 36–50 nm. The results revealed a homogeneous distribution of the main elements on the samples’ surfaces, with morphology consisting of isometric and highly agglomerated nanoparticles; the size of most DyFeO₃ nanoparticles calcined at 850 °C distributed in the range of 30–50 nm. In the applied field from − 15 to + 15 kOe, the sample calcined at 850 and 950 °C had low values of coercive field (H_c = 1.4 × 10⁻²–1.8 × 10⁻² Oe) and remanent magnetization (M_r = 1.10 × 10⁻⁷–0.54 × 10⁻⁷ emu g⁻¹, but high values of net magnetization (M_n = 2.69–2.75 emu g⁻¹); the samples appeared to behave as paramagnetic materials. The DyFeO₃-850 °C and DyFeO₃-950 °C samples demonstrated a high absorbance at wavelengths of 400–600 nm, with low values of direct bandgap (E_g = 2.31–2.15 eV).