Synthesis and Study of Fe-Doped Bi2S3 Semimagnetic Nanocrystals Embedded in a Glass Matrix

Abstract

Iron-doped bismuth sulphide (Bi2−xFexS3) nanocrystals have been successfully synthesized in a glass matrix using the fusion method. Transmission electron microscopy images and energy dispersive spectroscopy data clearly show that nanocrystals are formed with an average diameter of 7–9 nm, depending on the thermic treatment time, and contain Fe in their chemical composition. Magnetic force microscopy measurements show magnetic phase contrast patterns, providing further evidence of Fe incorporation in the nanocrystal structure. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra displayed Fe3+ typical characteristics, with spin of 5/2 in the 3d5 electronic state, thereby confirming the expected trivalent state of Fe ions in the Bi2S3 host structure. Results from the spin polarized density functional theory simulations, for the bulk Fe-doped Bi2S3 counterpart, corroborate the experimental fact that the volume of the unit cell decreases with Fe substitutionally doping at Bi1 and Bi2 sites. The Bader charge analysis indicated a pseudo valency charge of 1.322|e| on FeBi1 and 1.306|e| on FeBi2 ions, and a spin contribution for the magnetic moment of 5.0 µB per unit cell containing one Fe atom. Electronic band structures showed that the (indirect) band gap changes from 1.17 eV for Bi2S3 bulk to 0.71 eV (0.74 eV) for Bi2S3:FeBi1 (Bi2S3:FeBi2). These results are compatible with the 3d5 high-spin state of Fe3+, and are in agreement with the experimental results, within the density functional theory accuracy.

Transition Metals Doped Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

“…Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) embedded in a glassy matrix, such as: Bi 2-x Mn x S3 [32], Bi 2-x Fe x S 3 , [33] Bi 2-x Co x S 3 [34] and Bi 2-x Cr x S 3 , [35] have potential properties for the production of photovoltaic cells [36,37] thermoelectric cooling, [38,39] photodetectors, [40] field emission electronics [41] and fluorescent markers [42].…”

Magnetic force microscopy characterization of cobalt nanoparticles: A preliminary study

“…Really, different techniques implementing MFM allowed to study different properties of different nanosystems based on magnetic NPs, e.g. : to detect the presence of magnetic NPs in polymers or biological matrices [18][19][20][21][22][23]; to study field-related magnetic phenomena in iron-oxide NPs [24,25]; to quantitatively determine magnetic moment and saturation magnetization of iron oxide NPs [26][27][28]; to investigate superparamagnetic NPs [24,29,30]. Also, MFM was used to investigate Co [31] and CoPt [32] nanostructures and Co nanoclusters [33].…”

Prospects of copper–bismuth chalcogenide absorbers for photovoltaics and photoelectrocatalysis

“…35 While for Bi 2 S 3 , the VBM and CBM are derived from Bi s with S p states and Bi p with S p states, respectively. 36,37 Interestingly, in CBS, which contains contributions from both Cu and Bi, its VBM results from the coupling of the Cu d and S p states and its CBM is characterized by Bi p and S p states. 15,25 According to the density of states (DOS) of CBS, as shown in Fig.…”