Structural and radiation shielding features for BaSn1-xZnxO3 perovskite

In the present work, we investigate the structural, electronic and shielding properties of a series of BaSn1-xZnxO3 (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) ceramic samples prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction. We use the Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to delineate the structure, while the diffuse reflectance (R) spectra were used to determine the bandgap. The Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns showed the emergence of a majority of cubic structures with the Pm-3m space group. The FTIR spectra for all-ceramic samples display three bonds around 613, 1066, and 1425 cm(-1) that corresponded with the stretching vibration of Sn-O, delta(SnOH) vibration, and the existence of C-O vibration, respectively. The bandgap enhanced gradually from 3.14 to 3.18 eV with increasing ZnO. The radiation shielding properties of the prepared samples have been investigated experimentally then we benchmarked the results with the theoretical values, and the maximum relative difference (RD) is 6.290. Consequently, we theoretically explored the rest of the radiation shielding parameters, including linear attenuation coefficient, equivalent atomic number, mean free path, transmission factor, electron density, electron conductivity, and neutron removal cross-section. All the radiation-shielding properties showed a gradual reduction with the addition of ZnO to the ceramic system, while the neutron removal cross-section showed a gradual enhancement. Accordingly, it is deduced that the present samples can be used in the radiation-shielding field.

Automated summary

In this study, we investigated the structural, electronic, and shielding properties of BaSn1-xZnxO3 ceramic samples. We found that increasing the ZnO content enhances the bandgap and reduces the radiation shielding properties, while increasing the neutron removal cross-section. Therefore, these samples can be used in the field of radiation shielding.