Photocatalytic and magnetic behaviors of BiFeO{sub 3} thin films deposited on different substrates

Journal Article · Fri Nov 07 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4901066· OSTI ID:22402597

Xu, Hao-Min; Wang, Huan-Chun; Shen, Yang; Lin, Yuan-Hua; Nan, Ce-Wen ^[1]

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1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

Single phase polycrystalline BiFeO{sub 3} thin films were grown on three different substrates via chemical solution deposition. Our results indicate that the band gap of as-prepared BiFeO{sub 3} films can be tuned (2.02–2.67 eV) by the grain size effects caused by the substrates. These BiFeO{sub 3} films show good photocatalytic properties by the degradation of Congo red solution under visible-light irradiation (λ{sub  }> 400 nm). Additionally, weak ferromagnetic behaviors can be observed at room temperature in all the films, which should be correlated to the destruction of the incommensurate cycloid spin structure of BiFeO{sub 3} phase and the coexistence of Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 2+} as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

• OSTI ID: 22402597
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 116; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AZO DYES
DEPOSITION
GRAIN SIZE
IRON IONS
IRRADIATION
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
PHOTOCATALYSIS
SUBSTRATES
SULFONIC ACIDS
THIN FILMS
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY