Exploring the photocatalytic and dielectric characteristics of rare earth-doped (Na0.5Bi0.5)0.94 RE 0.04Ti0.95 (Ni0.2Fe0.2 Sb0.6)0.05 O3 (RE = La, Nd, Gd, Y; NBT-RENFS) ceramics
摘要
This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel NBT-RNFS ceramics, incorporating rare earth ions La3+, Nd3⁺, Gd3⁺, and Y3+ to enhance their structural, dielectric, and photocatalytic properties. Using the solid-state reaction method, we analyzed the phase composition through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, revealing the coexistence of rhombohedral (perovskite) and pyrochlore phases. Grain size exhibited an inverse correlation with dopant ionic radius: the La-doped sample, NBT-LNFS composition, featuring the largest ionic radius, demonstrated the smallest grains. Raman spectroscopy further validated the X-ray diffraction results, identifying Bi–O, Na–O, RE–O, and TiO6 vibrational modes. The optical bandgap analysis indicated that the synthesized perovskite materials displayed semiconducting behavior, with measured bandgap values ranging from 2.61 to 2.80 eV. The NBT-LNFS composition exhibited the lowest bandgap and the highest photocatalytic dye degradation rate of 83%, along with a remarkably high dielectric constant of 1151.87. These results highlight NBT-LNBT as promising candidate for photocatalysis and electronic devices.