Improved Optical, Multiferroics, and Photocatalytic Properties of Bi1-xSmxFe1-ySnyO3 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method

Nanosized Bi(1-x)Sm(x)Fe(1-y)Sn(y)O(3 )powders are successfully synthesized using a simple sol-gel auto-combustion route. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the formation of a pure-phase crystalline structure in bismuth ferrite (BFO). The co-doping of Sm3+ and Sn4+ into the BFO structure indicates structural distortion, and a decrease in average crystallite size. Transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy images show agglomerated particles surface morphology with particle size of around 41 nm for BFO and 22 nm for co-doped BFO sample. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate a reduction in oxygen vacancies due to the co-doping of Sm-Sn into BFO lattice. The co-doping effect results in a reduction in the value of optical bandgap and an improvement in multiferroics properties. A significant enhancement in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye under visible-light irradiation is observed for co-doped samples, and these results are further supported by photoluminescence analysis.