Preparation, structural and magnetic studies on BiFe1-xCrxO3 (x = 0.0, 0.05 and 0.1) multiferroic nanoparticles

BiFe1-xCrxO3 (x = 0.0, 0.05 and 0.1) nanoparticles are prepared by the combustion method without using any solvent. All the synthesized nanoparticles are single phase in nature, nearly spherical in shape and crystallize in distorted perovskite structure (space group R3c) with an average crystallite size of the order of 40 nm. The room temperature magnetization observed in BiFeO3 nanoparticles is larger than that in the bulk. Saturation magnetization and coercive field increase with increasing Cr-doping. Strong superexchange interaction between Fe3+ and Cr3+ atoms is likely to give rise to such increase in magnetization with Cr-doping. Mössbauer data of these nanoparticles show ordered magnetic state in which Fe atoms are in 3+ oxidation states.