title: Neodymium(III)-substituted bismuth titanate thin film generation using metal alkoxo, acyloxo, and beta-diketonato precursors employing a sol-gel route and using 4f-4f transition spectra as probes to explore kinetic performance.
abstract: Heterotrimetallic lanthanide-substituted bismuth titanate (BLT, where lanthanide is neodymium) with stoichiometry Nd(0.75)Bi(3.25)Ti(3)O(12) has been obtained in both highly homogenized crystalline and amorphous thin film forms using three different multicomponent precursors, A (formed from Nd(OC(3)H(7)(i))(3), Bi(OOC.CH(3))(3), and Ti(OC(3)H(7)(i))(4) taken in the desired stoichiometry), B (formed from Nd(OC(3)H(7)(i))(2)(acac), Bi(OOC.CH(3))(3), Ti(OC(3)H(7)(i))(3)(acac)), and C (formed from Nd(OC(3)H(7))(acac)(2), Bi(OOC.CH(3))(3), Ti(OC(3)H(7))(3)(acac), in the desired stoichiometry), and employing controlled acidic hydrolysis during the sol-gel method. Paramagnetic Nd(III), an f(3) metal ion, gives characteristic 4f-4f transition spectra in the visible and near infrared region. The sensitivity of 4f-4f transitions to minor coordination changes around paramagnetic Nd(3+) has been used to monitor hydrolysis during the progress of the sol-gel process of the multicomponent BLT precursors. The variation of intensities (oscillator strengths) of 4f-4f bands during hydrolysis, as well as the variation of Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, has helped in following the preliminary kinetics of hydrolysis. Highly complex polycondensation reactions occurred during sol-gel hydrolysis of three BLT precursors. Rates of hydrolysis with respect to five 4f-4f transitions of Nd(III) were determined. The different types of multicomponent BLT precursors have shown different rates of hydrolysis, following the reactivity trend A > B > C.
authors.affiliation: Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar, 364 002, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Sudhindra N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Ram S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Minaz A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gagnani