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The synthesis, thermal behavior and electrical properties of a series of undoped and 1% Ga- or Y-doped lanthanum manganite compounds, obtained via the sol–gel technique, are reported. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses were performed on all synthesized samples. The XRD results confirmed a good crystallinity for all studied samples, and a change in the crystal structure of Ga- or Y-doped lanthanum manganite (Pm-3m space group) was observed compared to the pristine sample (R-3c space group). Thermal analysis highlighted a different behavior of the doped samples compared to the undoped sample, observed by the different mass losses in the analyzed temperature range. For these materials, it is shown for the first time that the static electrical conductivity, σDC, of Ga- or Y-doped LaMnO3 compounds increases compared to the σDC of the pristine sample, and the thermal activation energy of the process of electrical conduction, EA,cond, increases linearly with the temperature for all three studied samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium niobate (NaNbO3) fine powders were synthesized by hydrothermal method using ammonium niobate (V) oxalate hydrate (C4H4NNbO9 x H2O), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium citrate hydrate (C6H9Na3O9) as precursors. The samples were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), UV-VIS spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray diffraction for powder obtained by hydrothermal method revealed three phases mixture (NaNbO3, Nb2O5, Na2C2O4). In order to obtain a material with perovskite structure, the powder was treated for 6 h at 600°C. After calcination, the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns shown reflections of a pure cubic structure (space group Pm-3m) with lattice parameters (a=b=c=3.909Å) comparable to those reported in the literature. The average particle sizes estimated by SEM image were 2-3 micrometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnGa2O4 phosphor doped with Eu3+ ions was synthesized by hydrothermal method using two concentrations: 3.34mol% and 1.67mol% of Eu3+. The crystal structure was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results indicate that the material consisting of ZnGa2O4:Eu3+ nanoparticles exhibits good crystalinity, with cubic spinel structure. The powders were found to have 4.74eV of ZnGa2O4:Eu3+ (3.34mol%) and 4.69eV of ZnGa2O4:Eu3+ (1.67mol%) band gaps, respectively. The luminescent analysis of the materials shows that the trivalent europium ions doped in this material are localized in different sites, substituting both Zn2+ and Ga3+. The emission spectra of the europium-doped samples, originating from 5D0–7F J (J =0–4) transitions, suggests the existence of three different site symmetry of Eu3+ ions, tetrahedral (Zn2+), distorted octahedral (Ga3+) and low octahedral (Ga3+) sites, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An efficient fast hydrothermal method was used to synthesize Co 1-x Pd x Fe 2 O 4 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5) nanocrystalline powders, where Co2+ was substituted with Pd2+ ions. The materials crystallize within the spinel structure (Fd-3m) with crystallites sizes varying between 5.6 and 17.6 nm. The particles present a cubic shape for x = 0 and x = 0.1 samples and the presence of Pd in samples was confirmed by Energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The magnetic hysteresis loops indicate that the saturation magnetization decreases with the increase once with of the Pd2+ amount substitution (from ~52 emu/g for x = 0–~7 emu/g for x = 0.5). • Pd substituted CoFe2O4 materials were obtained for the first time by a fast method. • Cubic shape morphology for x = 0 and x = 0.1 Pd substituted CoFe2O4 materials. • The saturation magnetization decreases with the increase of the Pd2+ amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two samples of NaTaO3 perovskite materials were prepared by the standard hydrothermal method at the same reaction temperature (600 °C) but with different sintering times: 6 hours for sample S1 and 12 hours for sample S2. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD), it shows that samples S1 and S2 are mixtures of Na-Ta oxides (Ta2O5 and the prevailing phase NaTaO3). The scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM), shows that the grains are connected each other in agglomerated clusters of size about few hundred nanometers. The frequency (f) dependencies of complex impedance, Z(f) = Z'(f) – i Z''(f) of the samples, over the frequency range 20 Hz – 2 MHz, at room temperature are presented. The real component Z' of the complex impedance decreases with increasing frequency and the imaginary component Z'' has two maximum corresponding to two relaxation processes. The results obtained from the complex impedance spectroscopy, Z''(Z') showed the appearance of two semicircles, corresponding to grain and grain boundary mechanism. Experimental results have been fitted with two parallel RC equivalent circuits connected in series and the parameters R and C have been evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]