Envisioning the structural, morphological, optical, dielectric and electrical properties of Nd3+ ions doped LaFeO3 nanoparticles - Study on effect of Nd3+ doping concentration

The structural, optical, and room-temperature dielectric and electrical characteristics of LaFeO3 (LFO) and neodymium (Nd) doped LFO were investigated in this study. La1-xNdxFeO3 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) nanoparticles were synthesized by the cost-effective sol-gel auto-combustion process. Using the X-ray diffraction method (XRD), the phase and crystallinity of the samples were ascertained. The chemical bonding and the LFO phase were confirmed in the synthesized materials by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). HighResolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) was used to exhibit nanoparticles with lamellar structures. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX) identified the elements present as per the nominal composition. Ultra Violet Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) revealed an average band gap of 2 eV. The dielectric constant, conductivity, dielectric loss, and electric modulus were determined by Complex Impedance analysis across varying frequency ranges at room temperature. The Nyquist plot of the prepared samples displayed a single semicircle. The dielectric constant and AC conductivity of the La1-xNdxFeO3 (x = 0.3) sample are higher than the pristine LFO. These investigations highlighted that variations in Nd doping concentration have significantly impacted the structural, optical, dielectric and electrical characteristics of LFO nanoparticles, making them suitable for device applications.