Electronic configuration and magnetic properties of La0.7Ca0.3Mn1-xFexO3 perovskite NPs: The effect of a lower Fe3+ concentration

Effect of nanoparticle size on electronic configuration and magnetic properties of La0.7Ca0.3Mn1-xFexO3 (x = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015 and 0.02) perovskites have been investigated. Magnetic properties are dependent on nanoparticle size. It was noted that independently of the 3d(5) ion concentration, if the ABO(3) perovskite solid solution has small enough NPs, they might induce a magnetization mechanism, which is thermally fluctuated, causing magnetic anisotropy of individual grains, and consequently reducing the solid solution's magnetic moment. The 3d(5) ion (Fe3+) concentration with its incomplete d shell plays an important role in the double exchange, DE. Subsequently, NPs around 28 nm are strongly influenced at 100 K by a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition, which presents a spin glass-type order as the temperature continues to decrease. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.