Tailoring the properties of nanocrystalline multiferroic BiFeO3 by simultaneous substitution of Bi3+ and Fe3+ metal cations for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalysis

Multiferroic ceramics (BiFeO 3 ) co doped with Yb and Ni cations (Bi 1-x Yb x Ni y Fe 1-y O 3 ) were synthesized via micro-emulsion route.The dopant (Yb and Ni) contents were fixed x = 0.0 < x >0.125 and y = 0.0 < x >0.25 for six different compositions.The fabricated ceramics were examined with various techniques to index certain features such as crystal habitat, electrical, dielectric, magnetic, and photocatalytic properties.Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, impedance analyzer constant, current-voltage (I-V) behavior, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).XRD crews revealed a highly crystalline rhombohedral (R3c) structure growth on inclusion of ytterbium and nickel cations in BiFeO 3 ceramics.However, on substituent concentrations, x = 0.125, y = 0.25 moles, the diffraction pattern (111) against 2θ = 27° showed a phase transformation from rhombohedral to orthorhombic phase.Nanocrystalline morsels were harvested with sizes ~21-23 nm.The fabricated ceramics exhibited the resistivity 1.4 × 10 9 Ω cm -1 .The VSM analysis of fabricated ceramics revealed a notable enhancement of magnetization up to 1.51 emu/g for x = 0.1, y = 0.2 moles.The ceramic composition Bi 0.90 Yb 0.10 Ni 0.2 Fe 0.80 O 3 exhibited the minimum optical band gap 1.25 eV, and these particles showed the photocatalytic activity of >64%.The fabricated ceramic inherited magnetic merits and could be easily removed by applying conventional magnetic bar.