Structural and electrical properties of copper doped lanthanum manganite NPs

Abstract

This paper reports on the structural and electrical properties of copper doped lanthanum manganite nanoparticles (NPs). The investigated samples were prepared via a standard solid state reaction route using the planetary ball milling technique. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirm their crystallinity and formation of single phase perovskite structure. The micrographs of field emission scanning electron microscopy shows the particles of almost non-spherical shape and a little agglomerated. The average particle sizes’ are in the nanorange. The energy dispersive spectroscopy marks the presence of the compositional constituents. A second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to diamagnetic is observed from the dispersion of dielectric constant. The peaks are found in the loss tanδ spectra that correspond to energy loss as heat radiation. The higher energy loss as heat radiation is obtained for the composition with Cu content (x) = 0.2 and is assumed it to be more suitable in the dielectric heating as well as heat generating applications. The peaks are observed at around 10 kHz in their M″ spectra, which indicate the transition from short-range to long-range mobility of ions. However, the peak position in the dispersion of M′ are detected to shift rightward with the Cu content (x). Keywords: Perovskite structure, Dielectric constant, Electric modulus, Tolerance factor