Self-assembly growth of BiFeO3 powders prepared by microwave-hydrothermal method

With FeCl3.6H(2)O and Bi(NO3)(3).5H(2)O powder as raw materials and KOH as a mineralizer, the pure phase BiFeO3 (BFO) powder was synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal (MH) method at 200 degrees C, with the reaction time as little as 30 min. The range of preparing the BFO powders had been summarized. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed that the little BM plate grew together forming rock sugar-like BFO powders, and then they grew further to form the mussel-like BFO powders. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images also improved the self-assembly growth of BFO powders. The X-ray diffraction (XRD). the high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results indicated that the BM powders grew along the [110] and [104] crystal orientation. The B-H loops of BFO indicated that the weak magnetism existed in the pure phase BM powders. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.