ABSTRACT
Micro- and nanocrystalline lanthanum-samarium ferrites La1-x Sm x FeO3 with orthorhombic perovskite structure were obtained by using both solid state reactions (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8) and sol-gel synthesis (x = 0.5) techniques. Obtained structural parameters of both series of La1-x Sm x FeO3 are in excellent agreement with the "pure" LaFeO3 and SmFeO3 compounds, thus proving formation of continuous solid solution in the LaFeO3-SmFeO3 system. Peculiarity of La1-x Sm x FeO3 solid solution is divergence behaviour of unit cell dimensions with increasing x: systematic decrease of the a and c lattice parameters is accompanied with increasing b parameter. Such behaviour of the unit cell dimensions in La1-x Sm x FeO3 series led to crossover of the a and c perovskite lattice parameters and formation of dimensionally tetragonal structure near x = 0.04. Linear decrease of the unit cell volume of La1-x Sm x FeO3 with decreasing x according with the Vegard's rule indicate absence of short-range ordering of R-cations in the LaFeO3-SmFeO3 system.
ABSTRACT
The paper presents experimental results of investigations on the influence of temperature and thermo-chemical annealing on the structural and optical properties of YbAlO(3) crystals. Thermal behaviour of the crystal structure has been studied in the temperature range of 19-1173 K by means of in situ high-resolution x-ray powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Lattice expansion of YbAlO(3) displays a strongly anisotropic character: the relative expansion along the b direction is about two times smaller than that along the a and c axes. The influence of thermo-chemical annealing in oxidizing and reducing atmospheres has been studied by means of in situ optical spectroscopy. The increase of the absorption in the range of 300-600 nm during annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere as well as its bleaching during reduction has been observed in the temperature range 700-1000 K. The oxidation and reduction kinetics have been analysed by means of mathematical models taking into account diffusion and the quasi-chemical reaction of the defect centres.
ABSTRACT
The paper presents experimental results on an in situ optical absorption study of the reduction/oxidation processes in YAlO(3):Mn crystals that are visible in the [Formula: see text] recharging of manganese ions. The appearance of the Mn(5+) absorption during annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere as well as its bleaching during annealing of the crystal in a reducing atmosphere have been studied in the temperature range from 800 to 1250 K. The oxidation and reduction kinetics are analyzed in the framework of the vacancies diffusion model and compared with the nominally pure and Nd-doped YAlO(3) crystals studied previously.