Fe-Doped Di-Bismuth Tetra-Oxide Thin Films: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application

In this research work, undoped and Fe-doped Bi2O4 thin films were synthesized by sol-gel dip coating technique. The x-ray diffraction results confirmed the formation of the monoclinic phase of Bi2O4 with no other impurity peak. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed functional bonds of bismuth oxide in the range of similar to 450-650 cm(-1). Bandgaps of undoped and Fe-doped Bi2O4 films were found in the range of 2.0-1.80 eV, which was an important range for the Fe:Bi2O4 films to be used as window layers in solar cells. Fe-doped Bi2O4 may be employed in spintronics technology because all thin films exhibited ferromagnetic behavior. The dielectric properties of bismuth oxide were enhanced with an increase in Fe dopant percentage. The results of antibacterial activity demonstrated that Fe-doped Bi2O4 was an effective bacteriostatic agent to control the spread and infection caused by these bacterial strains. Compared to undoped Bi2O4, 5 wt.% of iron-doped Bi2O4 showed the highest photocatalytic performance.

Automated summary

In this research, undoped and Fe-doped Bi2O4 thin films were synthesized using the sol-gel dip coating technique. The results showed the formation of monoclinic phase Bi2O4 without any impurities. Functional bonds of bismuth oxide were confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The bandgaps of the films ranged from 2.0 to 1.80 eV, making them suitable for use as window layers in solar cells. The inclusion of iron dopants enhanced the dielectric properties and exhibited ferromagnetic behavior. Additionally, Fe-doped Bi2O4 showed effective antibacterial activity and superior photocatalytic performance compared to undoped Bi2O4.