title: Simple top-down preparation of magnetic Bi₀.₉Gd₀.₁Fe₁-xTixO₃ nanoparticles by ultrasonication of multiferroic bulk material.
abstract: We present a simple technique to synthesize ultrafine nanoparticles directly from bulk multiferroic perovskite powder. The starting materials, which were ceramic pellets of the nominal compositions Bi₀.₉Gd₀.₁Fe₁-xTixO₃ (x = 0.00-0.20), were prepared initially by a solid state reaction technique, then ground into micrometer-sized powders and mixed with isopropanol or water in an ultrasonic bath. The particle size was studied as a function of sonication time with transmission electron microscopic imaging and electron diffraction that confirmed the formation of a large fraction of single-crystalline nanoparticles with a mean size of 11-13 nm. A significant improvement in the magnetic behavior of Bi₀.₉Gd₀.₁Fe₁-xTixO₃ nanoparticles compared to their bulk counterparts was observed at room temperature. This sonication technique may be considered as a simple and promising route to prepare ultrafine nanoparticles for functional applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. mabasith@phy.buet.ac.bd.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Basith
authors.forename: D-T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Ngo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quader
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Bashir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahmmad
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølhave