Morphotropic Phase Boundary Enhanced Photocatalysis in Sm Doped BiFeO<sub>3</sub>
Farid F. Orudzhev,
Nariman M.-R. Alikhanov,
Shikhgasan M. Ramazanov,
Dinara S. Sobola,
Rabadanov Kh. Murtazali,
Etibar H. Ismailov,
Rashid D. Gasimov,
Akif Sh. Aliev,
Ştefan Ţălu
Affiliations
Farid F. Orudzhev
REC Smart Materials and Biomedical Applications, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
Nariman M.-R. Alikhanov
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Ecology, Dagestan State University, St. M. Gadjieva 43-a, Dagestan Republic, 367015 Makhachkala, Russia
Shikhgasan M. Ramazanov
Amirkhanov Institute of Physics of Dagestan Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 367003 Makhachkala, Russia
Dinara S. Sobola
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Ecology, Dagestan State University, St. M. Gadjieva 43-a, Dagestan Republic, 367015 Makhachkala, Russia
Rabadanov Kh. Murtazali
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Ecology, Dagestan State University, St. M. Gadjieva 43-a, Dagestan Republic, 367015 Makhachkala, Russia
Etibar H. Ismailov
Institute of Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, H. Cavid Ave. 113, AZ 1143 Baku, Azerbaijan
Rashid D. Gasimov
Institute of Radiation Problems, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, 9 B. Vahabzade Str., AZ 1143 Baku, Azerbaijan
Akif Sh. Aliev
Institute of Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, H. Cavid Ave. 113, AZ 1143 Baku, Azerbaijan
Ştefan Ţălu
Directorate of Research, Development and Innovation Management (DMCDI), Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Constantin Daicoviciu Street, No. 15, 400020 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
This paper presents the results of the synthesis of samarium-doped bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles by the solution combustion method. The dependence of BFO properties on the amount of the samarium (Sm) in the composition was studied. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman, Electron Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (EDRS) and Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR). The photocatalytic (PC) measurements showed the absence of a strict correlation between the PC activity and the crystallite size and band gap. An increase in the PC activity of BFO samples with 10 and 15% doping was observed and it was concluded that in controlling the PC properties in doped BFO, the processes of interfacial polarization at the boundaries of the morphotropic phase transition are of decisive importance. It was supposed that the internal electric field formed at these boundaries contributes to the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers.