Intrinsic and tunable ferromagnetism in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 through CaFeO3-δ modification

Effect of synthesis methodologies upon the photocatalytic performance of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 for pollutant degradation

In the face of mounting environmental concerns, we must seek out innovative solutions for remediation. Using nanomaterials to degrade organic pollutants in water under ambient visible light holds great promise as a safe, cost-efficient, and effective approach to addressing pollution in our water bodies. The development of novel materials capable of such pollution degradation is desired to preserve the environment. In this study, Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) nanoparticles are synthesized through hydrothermal and solid-state routes, and their physicochemical properties are compared to assess their photocatalytic performance. The results of the characterization studies indicate that the hydrothermally synthesized nanoparticles outperformed the solid-state synthesized counterparts in terms of photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine blue dye under ambient light exposure is examined at various dye concentrations and catalyst dosages. BNT nanoparticles demonstrated excellent photocatalytic properties, stability, and recyclability, making them a promising candidate for various photocatalytic applications. The findings of this study could pave the way for the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly photocatalytic technologies for water remediation.

Experimental and theoretical studies on induced ferromagnetism of new (1 - x)Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 + xBaFeO3-δ solid solution

New solid solution of Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ with BaFeO_3−δ materials were fabricated by sol–gel method. Analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that BaFeO_3−δ materials existed as a well solid solution and resulted in distortion the structure of host Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ materials. The randomly incorporated Fe and Ba cations in the host Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ crystal decreased the optical band gap from 3.11 to 2.48 eV, and induced the room-temperature ferromagnetism. Our density-functional theory calculations further suggested that both Ba for Bi/Na-site and Fe dopant, regardless of the substitutional sites, in Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ lead to the induced magnetism, which is illustrated in terms of the exchange splitting between spin subbands through the crystal field theory and Jahn–Teller distortion effects. Our work proposes a simple method for fabricating lead-free ferroelectric materials with ferromagnetism property for multifunctional applications in smart electronic devices.