Advanced characterization of the structural and electrical properties of La0.6Ce0.2Ba0.2FeO3 synthesized via the sol–gel method

Abstract

In this work, we investigated the morphological, structural, and electrical characteristics of the sol–gel-synthesized La_0.6Ce_0.2Ba_0.2FeO₃ compound. The synthesis of LCBFO, with an orthorhombic structure and space group Pbnm, along with the secondary phases CeO₂ and Ce₁₁O₂₀, was verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) research. SEM micrographs revealed round grains with noticeable porosity. Thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated stable thermal behavior, with a significant weight loss occurring around 340 °C due to the decomposition of organic residues. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Fe (III) ions in octahedral coordination, with an additional site attributed to Ba substitution. Electrical conductivity measurements analyzed using Jonscher’s universal power law (\(\sigma \left(\omega \right)= {\sigma }_{\text{dc} }+A{\omega }^{\text{s}}\)) showed a DC conductivity (σ_dc) of 1.25 × 10^–4 S/cm at room temperature, with an activation energy (E_a) of 0.265 eV determined from the Arrhenius plot. The dielectric permittivity, modeled using the Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization theory, exhibited a relaxation phenomenon with a peak observed at 10 kHz. These results suggest that La_0.6Ce_0.2Ba_0.2FeO₃ synthesized via the sol–gel method exhibits promising structural integrity and electrical properties, making it a potential candidate for applications in chemical sensors, fuel cells, and magnetic materials.