Structure and microstructure dependent transport and magnetic properties of sol-gel grown nanostructured La0.6Nd0.1Sr0.3MnO3 manganites: Role of oxygen

In the present communication, we report the results of the studies on structural and microstructural properties of sol-gel grown nanostructured La0.6Nd0.1Sr0.3MnO3 (LNSMO) manganites sintered and annealed at different temperatures (viz., 700,800 and 900 degrees C). It is shown that resistivity, magnetoresistance (MR) and magnetic behavior are strongly dependent on structure and microstructure of the LNSMO samples. Suppression in resistivity, decrease in MR and enhancement in metal to insulator transition temperature (T-p) have been discussed in detail on the basis of grain morphology and role of oxygen. Magnetism of LNSMO samples has been discussed on the basis of variation in ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition temperature (T-c), irreversibility, freezing temperature, thermal hysteresis, M-H loop area, coercive field and remnant magnetization with process temperature and annealing environment. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.