Alkali metal ions-assisted controllable synthesis of bismuth ferrites by a hydrothermal method

Various bismuth ferrite compounds have been controllably synthesized by a hydrothermal method assisted by alkali metal ions (K+, Na+, and Li+). The as-prepared powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope. It was suggested that different alkali metal ions can result in the formation of rhombohedral BiFeO3, orthorhombic Bi2Fe4O9, and cubic Bi-12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O-19.5, respectively.