Transport properties and conduction mechanisms in CuFe2O4 and Cu1−xZnxGa0.3Fe1.7O4 compounds

Single-phase structure of CuFe₂O₄ and Cu_1−xZn_xGa_0.3Fe_1.7O₄; with (0.0≤x≤0.5) are synthesized. Electrical conductivity measurements as a function of temperature are carried out in the frequency range (10²-10⁵ Hz) for the prepared samples. The obtained results of these materials reveal a metallic-like behavior in the low range of frequency. At high frequency regime metallic-to-semiconductor transition has been observed as the compositional parameter x increases. Metallic-like behavior is accompanied with samples having low Zn content, where cation-cation [Cu-Cu] interaction is major at the octahedral B-sites and semiconductor behavior is associated with compounds having high Zn content, where cation-anion-cation [Fe-O-Fe] interaction is most predominant at B-sites in these spinel oxides. All studied compositions exhibit a transition with change in the slope of conductivity versus temperature curve. This transition temperature is found to decrease linearly with increasing Zn concentration x. The relation of the universal exponent s with temperature indicates the presence of two hopping conduction mechanisms; the correlated barrier hopping CBH at low Zn content x≤0.2 and small polaron (SP) at Zn content x≥0.3.     

Electrical conductivity and complex electric modulus of titanium doped nickel-zinc ferrites

The samples Ni_1+x−yZn_yTi_x Fe_2−2xO₄; y=0.1, 0.0≤x≤0.5 were prepared in a single-phase spinel structure as indicated from X-ray analysis. Electrical conductivity and dielectric measurements at different temperatures from 300 K to 600 K in the frequency range from 42 Hz to 5 MHz have been analyzed. The relation of conductivity with temperature revealed a semiconductor to semimetallic behavior as Ti⁴⁺ concentration increases. The conduction mechanism depends mainly on the valence exchange between the different metal ions in the same site or in different sites. The dielectric constant as a function of temperature and frequency showed that there is a strong dependence on the compositional parameter x. The electrical modulus has been employed to study the relaxation dynamics of charge carriers. The result indicates the presence of correlation between motions of mobile ion charges. The activation energies extracted from M′(ω) and M″(ω) peaks are found to follow the Arrhenius law. The electrical conductance of the samples found to be dependent on the temperature and frequency.     

Structural,morphological, magnetic and dielectric characterization of nano-phased antimony doped manganese zinc ferrites

Nano-phased doped Mn–Zn ferrites, viz., Mn_0.5−x/2Zn_0.5−x/2Sb_XFe₂O₄ for x=0 to 0.3 (in steps of 0.05) prepared by hydrothermal method are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Infrared and scanning electron microscopy. XRD and SEM infer the growth of nano-crystalline cubic and hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) phase structures. IR reveals the ferrite phase abundance and metal ion replacement with dopant. Decreasing trend of lattice constant with dopant reflects the preferential replacement of Fe³⁺ions by Sb⁵⁺ion. Doping is found to cause for the decrease (i.e., 46–14 nm) of grain size. An overall trend of decreasing saturation magnetization is observed with doping. Low magnetization is attributed to the diamagnetic nature of dopant, abundance of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) phase, non-stoichiometry and low temperature (800 °C) sintering conditions. Increasing Yafet–Kittel angle reflects surface spin canting to pronounce lower M_s. Lower coercivity is observed for x≤0.1, while a large H_c results for higher concentrations. High ac resistivity (~10⁶ ohm-cm) and low dielectric loss factor (tan δ~10⁻²–10⁻³) are witnessed. Resistivity is explained on the base of a transformation in the Metal Cation-to-Oxide anion bond configuration and blockade of conductivity path. Retarded hopping (between adjacent B-sites) of carriers across the grain boundaries is addressed. Relatively higher resistivity and low dielectric loss in Sbdoped Mn–Zn ferrite systems pronounce their utility in high frequency applications.     

Magnetic and dielectric studies of nanocrystalline zinc substituted Cu-Mn ferrites

Ferrites with the general formula Cu_1−xZn_xFeMnO₄ (where 0≤x≤1) were prepared through a citrate gel auto-combustion route. Structural characterizations carried out by X-ray diffraction reveal that the lattice constant increases with increase in zinc content. Transmission electron microscopic measurements confirm the nanoscale nature of the particles. Room temperature saturation magnetization was measured as a function of zinc concentration. The saturation magnetization increases up to x=0.25 and then decreases as zinc concentration increases. Dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss tangent, ac conductivity and complex dielectric impedance were studied in the frequency range 20 Hz-1 MHz. The results indicated a usual dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. Dielectric loss showed similar behavior as dielectric permittivity. The ac conductivity increased linearly with frequency. Complex impedance spectroscopic studies confirmed that conduction in the samples is via grain boundaries. In general, substitution of zinc plays an important role in changing the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of these ferrites.     

Frequency–temperature response of Pb(Zr0.65−xCexTi0.35)O3 ferroelectric ceramics: Structural and dielectric studies

A high-temperature solid-state reaction technique was used to prepare polycrystalline samples of Pb(Zr_0.65−xCe_xTi_0.35)O₃ (x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) (PZCT). X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the structural and microstructural properties of the compounds, respectively. The XRD study confirmed the formation of compounds at room temperature. Microstructural analysis of the surface of the compounds exhibits that there is a change in grain size, shape and density on introduction of cerium (Ce) in PZCT. Detailed studies of the dielectric properties reveal that PZCT show: (i) increase in T_c on increasing Ce concentration and (ii) improvement in dielectric constant and ac conductivity.     

Structural and transport properties of Li-intercalated vanadium pentoxide nanocrystalline films

The X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, density, electrical and thermoelectric power (TEP) properties of nanocrystalline Li _x V₂O₅ ? nH₂O xerogel films (0 ≤ x ≤ 22 mol.%) were investigated. The films were produced by the sol–gel technique (colloidal route), which was used to enable high-purity, uniform preparation. The relative intensity of the (002) XRD line increased with increasing Li content. The particle size was found to be about 6.0 nm. Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power were measured parallel to the substrate surface in the temperature range 300–480 K for the as-prepared films. The electrical conductivity showed that all the samples were semiconductors and that conductivity increased with increasing Li content. The conductivity of the present system was primarily determined by hopping carrier mobility, which was found to vary from 6.81 × 10^?6 to 0.33 × 10^?6 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at 380 K. The carrier density was evaluated to be 8.73 × 10¹⁹–1.118 × 10²¹ cm^?3. The conduction was confirmed to obey non-adiabatic small polaron hopping. The thermoelectric power, or Seebeck effect, increased with increasing Li content. The results obtained indicate an n-type semiconducting behavior within the temperature range investigated.     

Study of dielectric behaviour of Mn-Zn nano ferrites

Dielectric properties of Mn_0.4Zn_0.6Fe₂O₄ ferrites synthesised by co-precipitation method have been investigated as a function of frequency (up to 30 MHz) at different temperatures. Dispersion in dielectric constant has been observed between temperatures 450-500 K. DC resistivity was found to increase up to 100 times greater than those for the samples prepared by the conventional ceramic methods. Resistivity variation with temperature is also reported in the present work. The particle size is calculated using Scherrer equation for Lorentzian peak, which comes out between 9 and 19 nm. Possible mechanisms contributing to these processes have been discussed.     

Preparation, structural analysis and dielectric properties of Bi x La1−x FeO3 perovskite

Rare earth element substituted bismuth ferrites (BiFeO₃) are of enormous importance as magnetoelectric materials. The polycrystalline samples of Bi _x La_1−x FeO₃ (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were prepared by solid-state reaction using standard ceramic method. The single-phase formation of these compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The samples with x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 are found to be orthorhombic while the sample with x=0.8 is triclinic. The dielectric constant (ε′) and dissipation factor (tan δ) were measured in the frequency range 100 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature and as a function of temperature at certain fixed frequencies (1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz). All the samples showed dielectric dispersion. The dielectric constant with temperature shows a broad peak; the peak temperature shifts with frequency which reflects the relaxor-type behavior. The peak above 600 K in the measured temperature range corresponds to antiferromagnetic ordering temperature (Néel temperature). The broadness of the peak changes with composition. The ac conductivity as well as ε′ are found to be maximum for the sample x=0.2 at room temperature.     

Effect of magnesium substitution on dielectric and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn ferrite

The dielectric and magnetic properties of Mg incorporated Ni-Zn spinel ferrites have been investigated. Ni_0.5−xZn_0.5Mg_xFe₂O₄ ferrites have been prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The as prepared ferrites were annealed at 673, 873 and 1073 K. The X-ray diffraction studies reveal the spinel structure of annealed ferrites. The TEM results are in agreement with XRD results. FTIR study has also been carried out to get insight into the structure of these ferrites. The dielectric measurements show that the dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (tan δ) and conductivity (σ_ac) increase on incorporation of Mg in the Ni-Zn ferrite. ε′, tan δ and σ_ac also show dependence on temperature, frequency of external applied electric field and microstructure of the samples. The magnetic moment measurements reveal that the saturation magnetization (M_s) increases and coercivity (H_c) decreases with the increase in concentration of Mg²⁺ ions. M_s and H_c also show dependence on the annealing temperature.     

Temperature dependence of thermal and electrical conductivity of Bi-based high-Tc (2 2 2 3) superconductor

Superconducting samples with nominal composition Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_δ were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction technique. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, dc electrical resistivity, ac magnetic susceptibility and thermal conductivity. The X-ray diffraction studies were done at room temperature and the lattice constants of the material were determined by indexing all the peaks. All the above measurements show that, there exists two phases i.e. high-T_c (2 2 2 3) and low-T_c (2 2 1 2). The information obtained from dc electrical resistivity data agrees with ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The onset temperature T_c (onset) and zero resistivity temperature T_c (R = 0) of the samples remains within the temperature 120 ± 1 K and 103 ± 1 K. Thermal conductivity has been measured with a transient plane source (TPS) technique in the temperature range 77–300 K. The estimation of the electrical resistivity change due to scattering by phonons and impurities has been discussed. An increase in thermal conductivity is observed above and below T_c (R = 0). The electron–phonon scattering time, phonon-limited mobility and the size of the electron–phonon constant are also calculated. Wiedemann–Franz law is applied to gain prediction about the magnitude of electronic and phonon contribution to the total thermal conductivity of the samples. It is observed that heat is mainly conducted by the phonons in this system.     

Synthesis, microstructure, dielectric and magnetic properties of Cu substituted Ni-Li ferrites

Cu substituted Ni-Li spinel ferrites were prepared by a conventional sol-gel auto-combustion method. The structure, surface morphology, dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, impedance spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies reveal the single phase spinel structure of the ferrites and the crystallite size varies from 23 to 35 nm. Incorporation of Cu in the Ni-Li ferrites increases the grain size. The dielectric parameters such as ε´, ε′′, loss tan δ and ac conductivity (σ_ac) have been measured for the annealed samples in the temperature range from 35 to 200 °C and over the frequency range from 10¹ to 10⁷ Hz. The saturation magnetization and coercivity show a dependence on the composition and microstructure. The values of saturation magnetization vary from 25.6 to 33.6 emu/g with increase in x for samples annealed at 600 °C. The values of the coercivity increase from 170 to 203 Oe with increase in x.     

Transport, structural and thermal studies on nanocomposite polymer blend electrolytes for Li-ion battery applications

Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (NCPEs) composed of poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-co-HFP) as a host polymer, Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) as an additive, Ethylene Carbonate (EC) as a plasticizer, Lithium Perchlorate as dopant salt and Barium Titanate (BaTiO₃) as a filler were prepared for various concentrations of BaTiO₃ using solvent casting technique. Thermal stability of the sample having maximum ionic conductivity was found using TG/DTA analysis. Nano composite polymer electrolytes were subjected to ac impedance analysis spectra for acquiring the ionic conductivity values at different temperature. Surface structure of the sample was analysed using scanning electron microscope and the complexations of samples were analysed using X-ray diffraction analysis. It was noted that the polymer electrolyte contains 8 wt. % of BaTiO₃ showed maximum ionic conductivity than the other ratios of BaTiO₃.     

Complex impedance spectroscopy studies of (La0.70−xNdx)Sr0.30Mn0.70Cr0.30O3 (x≤0.30) perovskite compounds

The transport properties of Nd-doped perovskite materials (La_0.7−xNd_x)Sr_0.3Mn_0.7Cr_0.3O₃ (x≤0.30) were investigated using impedance spectroscopy techniques over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. AC conductance analyses indicate that the conduction mechanism is strongly dependent on temperature and frequency. The DC conductance plots can be described using the small polaron hopping (SPH) model, with an apparent reduction of the polaron activation energy below the Curie temperature T_C. Complex impedance plots exhibit semicircular arcs described by an electrical equivalent circuit. Off-centered semicircular impedance plots show that the Nd-doped compounds obey to a non-Debye relaxation process. The conductivity of grains and grain-boundaries has been estimated. The activation energies calculated from the conductance and from time relaxation analyses are comparable. This indicates that the same type of charge carriers is responsible for both the electrical conduction and relaxation phenomena.     

Synthesis,spectral, thermal,optical and dielectric studies on 4-dimethylaminopyridinium picrate crystals

Single crystal of 4-dimethylaminopyridinium picrate was grown by slow evaporation solution growth method. The optical properties of the crystal were studied by using UV–vis absorption and transmittance studies. The emission spectrum indicates that the crystal shows green and red fluorescence emissions. The band gap energy of the crystal was calculated and it is found to be 2.05 eV. The thermal stability of the crystal was studied using thermogravimetry-differential thermal (TG-DTA) analyses. The thermal anomalies observed in the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating and cooling cycles indicate the occurrence of a first order phase transition. FTIR spectrum was used to confirm the presence of various functional groups in the crystal. The synthesized crystal shows SHG efficiency 32 times greater than that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the crystal decreases with increases in frequency.     

Structural, optical and dielectric studies of glycinium trifluoroacetate single crystal

An organic material glycinium trifluoroacetate (GTFA) has been re-synthesized and large single crystals have been grown by solution technique. Complete structure of GTFA has been redetermined from single crystal XRD data. FTIR confirmed the presence of various functional groups. Melting point (152.44 °C), thermal stability and specific heat were studied from TG/ DTA and DSC. In UV absorption spectra, a lower cutoff value as 220 nm and a wide band gap as 4.86 eV for GTFA were observed. The dielectric studies, dielectric constant and loss were measured at different temperatures (30-90 °C) in the frequency range 100 Hz-2 MHz.     

X-ray diffraction studies of Sn/Nb-substituted Mn-Zn ferrites (*)

Summary  X-ray diffraction studies of tin- or niobium-substituted Mn-Zn ferrites have been carried out. The lattice parameter was obtained. Using some theoretical equations, possible cation distribution of these ferrites was proposed theoretically. Experimentally obtained lattice constant values were compared with the theoretically evaluated values. Radius of the tetrahedral, octahedral sites, ratio of the octa-to-tetra bond lengths and oxygen positional parameter values have been calculated and these are interpreted in terms of ionic radius of the cations. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

Magnetic, dielectric and complex impedance spectroscopic studies of nanocrystalline Cr substituted Li-ferrite

Nanocrystalline Li_0.5Fe_2.5−xCr_xO₄ (2.5≤x≥0) ferrites were prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion route. X-ray diffraction was employed to confirm the cubic spinel phase formation of the ferrites. The lattice parameter decreases with increase in Cr content. The saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanance were studied as a function of Cr content. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were measured as a function of frequency in the frequency range 20 Hz-1 MHz. Frequency dependence of dielectric constant shows dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. In order to understand the conduction mechanism, complex impedance measurements were carried out. The substitution of chromium plays an important role in changing the dielectric and magnetic properties of lithium ferrites.     

Growth,structural, thermal,optical, dielectric,mechanical and laser damage threshold studies of nicotinium tartrate single crystals

An organic nonlinear optical nicotinium tartrate (NT) single crystal was grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique. The cell parameters of NT crystal were confirmed by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction studies. The crystalline perfection of NT crystal was examined from HRXRD studies. The presence of functional groups was identified from FTIR spectral analysis. TGA and DSC studies revealed the thermal stability of NT crystal. UV–vis-NIR spectral studies showed that the NT crystal has wide transmission window in the entire visible region. The dielectric study on NT crystal established the normal dielectric behavior. The mechanical strength of NT crystal was studied by Vickers’ microhardness test. The laser damage threshold value of NT crystal was measured using Nd:YAG laser. The relative SHG efficiency of NT was measured to be 1.1 times that of KDP.     

X-ray studies on the thermal expansion of copper indium disulphide

The lattice parameters of the compound copper indium disulphide (CuInS₂) have been measured by x-ray diffraction. The data have been used to evaluate the coefficients of thermal expansion, perpendicular and parallel to the principal axis. The thermal expansion studies revealed the anisotropy between the axial expansion coefficients having a larger coefficient of expansion alonga axis than that alongc axis. The anisotropic thermal expansion of this compound is interpreted in terms of the thermal expansion of the Cu-S and In-S bonds.     

Structural and dielectric properties of barium-modified SrBi4Ti4O15 ceramics

Barium-modified strontium bismuth titanate ceramics with chemical formula Sr_1?xBa_xBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1) (SBBT) have been prepared by means of solid-state reaction technique and their structural and electrical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction data confirm that all the compositions show orthorhombic structure without any deleterious phase. Scanning electron micrographs show plate like grain morphology with random orientation of platelets. The temperature-dependent dielectric study shows that the phase transition temperature decreases, but the dielectric constant increases with increase in Ba content. Complex impedance plots show that both grain and grain boundary effect on the resistance mechanisms in all the compositions. The values of the activation energy confirm that the oxygen vacancies play an important role in the conduction. The ac conductivity of SBBT ceramics increases as a function of frequency due to relaxation phenomenon which arises due to mobile charge carriers.