Structural, Dielectric, and Electrical Properties of Bi1−xPbxFe1−x(Zr0.5Ti0.5)xO3

Polycrystalline samples of Bi1−xPbxFe1−x(Zr0.5Ti0.5)xO3 (BPFZTO) with x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 were prepared by high-temperature solid-state reaction. Preliminary structural analysis of calcined powders of the materials by use of x-ray powder diffraction confirmed formation of single-phase systems with the tetragonal structure. Room-temperature scanning electron micrographs of the samples revealed uniform distribution of grains of low porosity and different dimensions on the surface of the samples. The frequency–temperature dependence of dielectric and electric properties was studied by use of dielectric and complex impedance spectroscopy over a wide range of frequency (1 kHz to 1 MHz) at different temperatures (25–500°C). The dielectric constant of BiFeO3 (BFO) was enhanced by substitution with Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 (PZT) whereas the dielectric loss of the BPFZTO compounds decreased with increasing PZT content. A significant contribution of both grains and grain boundaries to the electrical response of the materials was observed. The frequency-dependence of the ac conductivity of BPFZTO followed Jonscher’s power law. Negative temperature coefficient of resistance behavior was observed for all the BPFZTO samples. Conductivity by thermally excited charge carriers and oxygen vacancies in the materials was believed to be of the Arrhenius-type.