N. S. Gajbhiye

Synthesis and characterization of single-crystalline α-MoO3 nanofibers for enhanced Li-ion intercalation applications

High quality, single-crystalline alpha-MoO3 nanofibers are synthesized by rapid hydrothermal method using a polymeric nitrosyl-complex of molybdenum(II) as molybdenum source without employing catalysts, surfactants, or templates. The possible reaction pathway is decomposition and oxidation of the complex to the polymolybdate and then surface condensation on the energetically favorable 001] direction in the initially formed nuclei of solid alpha-MoO3 under hydrothermal conditions. Highly crystalline alpha-MoO3 nanofibers have grown along 001] with lengths up to several micrometres and widths ranging between 280 and 320 nm. The alpha-MoO3 nanofibers exhibit desirable electrochemical properties such as high capacity reversibility as a cathode material of a Li-ion battery.

Structural transformation and enhancement in magnetic properties of single-phase Bi1−xPrxFeO3 nanoparticles

Single-phase Bi1−xPrxFeO3 (x = 0.0, 0.05, and 0.10) nanoparticles have been synthesized by propylene glycol-gel route at a temperature of 400 °C. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data and Raman spectra reflect a structural phase transition from rhombohedral for x = 0 to triclinic for x = 0.10. Magnetic measurements reveal that Pr-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles for x = 0.10 have enhanced remnant magnetization about 10 times as compared to pure BiFeO3 nanoparticles. It has been shown by 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy that the observed enhancement in magnetic properties of BiFeO3 with Pr doping is mainly due to suppression of modulated spiral spin structure near x = 0.10 and not due to Fe multiple valence, i.e., oxygen deficiency.