Joint European Magnetic Symposia

Among the multiferroic materials, the BiFeO3 (BFO) compound has been the most studied due to its multiferroic properties at room temperature. It has a rhombohedral distorted perovskite crystalline structure with space group R3c, and exhibits a simultaneous ferroelectric (TC = 1103 K) and an antiferromagnetic (TN = 643 K) behavior [1]. Obtaining stoichiometric single-phased BFO materials, with a proper microstructure, is one of the most difficult task for materials scientists and physicists. Sample composition and particle size are parameters that securely affect the overall physical properties of this kind of compound, once their control is directly related to the structural stability of the BiFeO3. Attempts to improve the physical and microstructural properties have been conducted by using different preparation routes, which influence the final properties of the material. In this work, BiFeO3 polycrystalline samples were synthesized using a ferrioxalate soft chemical evaporation route. According to preliminary results of XRD experiments, the as-cast samples appear to be amorphous, or having a very small particle size distribution. On the other hand, magnetic measurements results suggest the presence of characteristic magnetic nanoparticles. [2]. EXAFS experiments performed at the LNLS synchrotron facility at Campinas, and PDF calculations from X - Ray Diffraction patterns allowed to get information about the possible formation of BiFeO3 nanoparticles in the as-cast state. [1] Wang J et al., Science 299:1719 (2003).