New multiferroics BiFe1-2xAlxMnxO3 nanoparticles: Synthesis and evaluation of various structural, physical, electrical, dielectric and magnetic parameters

Nanostructures multiferroic BiFeO3 and its derivatives BiFe1-2xAlxMnxO3 are synthesized by a simple coprecipitation route. FTIR and XRD data confirms the rhombohedral structure and crystallite size is found in the range of 30-50 nm. The surface morphology change from round shaped particles to sheets form. The electrical resistivity is increased while the dielectric parameters decreased with the substituents. The BiFeO3 shows week ferromagnetic behavior and have high coercivity (Hc = 2590.3 G). The coercivity decreased from 2.59 x 10(3) to 0. 211 x 10(3) G with the increase in Al-Mn contents, while the saturation magnetization is found to increase from 0.030 to 0.056 emu g(-1) up to x = 0.3 and then decreased. The measured electrical, dielectric and magnetic parameters suggest that these materials can be utilized for fabricating the nano-devices working at very high frequencies as well as in data storage electronics devices. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.