Studies on the structural, magnetic and electrochemical properties of GdMn1−xFexO3(x= 0, 0.1 and 0.2) perovskite compounds

Abstract

The tunable physical properties of the rare earth manganite GdMnO3hold significant promise for different applications. Herein, we systematically investigate the modification of the structure, magnetic properties, and electrochemical performance of GdMn1−xFexO3(x= 0, 0.1, and 0.2). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of GdMn1−xFexO3(x= 0, 0.1, and 0.2) confirm the existence of a pure orthorhombic structure with the space groupPbnm. Rietveld refinement establishes the existence of an O′-type orthorhombic structure independent ofx. With an increase inx, the lattice volume and the Jahn-Teller (J-T) distortion factor decrease. The reduction in lattice volume is attributed to the presence of Mn4+ions accompanied by oxygen vacancies, as confirmedviaXPS and XANES studies, and the decrease in the J-T distortion factor is reflected through a reduction in the intensity of the asymmetric stretching band located at 487 cm−1in Raman spectroscopy studies. Temperature-dependent magnetization measurements reveal that the Néel temperature,TN, considerably enhances from ∼42 K atx= 0 to ∼84 K atx= 0.2, which is essentially due to improved antiferromagnetic interactions involving Mn/Fe-O-Mn/Fe. The spin dynamics of GdMn1−xFexO3, discussed using phenomenological models, such as Néel-Arrhenius, Vogel-Fulcher, and Power law models, reveal a spin-glass nature. Further, the feasibility of using GdMn1−xFexO3for potential supercapacitor applications has been confirmed due to a 2-fold increase in the specific capacitance owing to enhanced oxidation-reduction reactions between the electrode and electrolyte. We conclude here that GdMn1−xFexO3is a potential multifunctional material. © The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2021.