Gd anchored Bismuth Ferrite: Investigations on Structural and Optical Properties

The potential of rare-earth doping to robust structural, magnetic, electric, and optical characteristics of bismuth ferrite (BFO) has prompted an enormous amount of interest in the field of materials science. Gd-substituted BFO were produced in this work utilizing Pechini’s modified Sol-Gel auto combustion technique. The development of a pure perovskite structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), with no secondary phases identified. The lattice parameters were observed to decrease as Gd concentration increased, showing that Gd ions were successfully incorporated into the BFO lattice. The microstructural characteristics of the produced NPs were investigated using the HRTEM to evaluate particle size and shape. UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to analyze the optical characteristics of the NPs, which revealed a reduction in optical bandgap with Gd substitution. The improved optical characteristics can be attributed to a change in the electronic band structure caused by Gd substitution. Overall, Gd-substituted BFO perovskites displays remarkable optical properties, indicating their potential use in optoelectronic devices and as a catalyst for the degradation of synthetic and organic dyes.