Search for: All records

Exploring the controllable aspects of local atomic structure and chemical ordering and their correlations with functional properties is crucial for harnessing the potential of complex oxides in the development of advanced materials. In this work, we have investigated the sensitivity of the magnetic properties in a nanostructured metastable spinel compositionally complex oxide (CCO) composition, (Mg0.2⁢Mn0.2⁢Fe0.2⁢Cu0.2⁢Zn0.2)⁢Co2⁢O4, to local chemical segregation and phase evolution introduced through variation in post-processing heat treatment temperature. A combination of x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, first-order reversal curve (FORC) magnetometry, and neutron diffraction and total scattering analyses was employed to understand both average and local structure-property evolution. Structure analysis shows that the postannealing process triggers local and long-range cation diffusion, resulting in changes in the distribution of atoms residing on the tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the spinel structure as well as nanoscale chemical heterogeneity. FORC analysis shows that redistribution of magnetic cations induces subtle magnetic phase separation and soft to hard magnetic phase transformations, and demonstrates incipient demixing of the as-synthesized material well before detection by neutron total scattering. This work additionally highlights the necessity of a combination of advanced characterization techniques for understanding the broader crystal-chemical class of compositionally complex oxides. 

We present an exploration of a family of compositionally complex cubic spinel ferrites featuring combinations of Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mn, and Zn cations, systematically investigating the average and local atomic structures, chemical short-range order, magnetic spin configurations, and magnetic properties. All compositions result in ferrimagnetic average structures with extremely similar local bonding environments; however, the samples display varying degrees of cation inversion and, therefore, differing apparent bulk magnetization. Additionally, first-order reversal curve analysis of the magnetic reversal behavior indicates varying degrees of magnetic ordering and interactions, including potentially local frustration. Finally, reverse Monte Carlo modeling of the spin orientation demonstrates a relationship between the degree of cation inversion and the spin collinearity. Collectively, these observations correlate with differences in synthesis procedures. This work provides a framework for understanding magnetic behavior reported for “high-entropy spinels,” revealing many are likely compositionally complex oxides with differing degrees of chemical short-range order—not meeting the community established criteria for high or medium entropy compounds. Moreover, this work highlights the importance of reporting complete sample processing histories and investigating local to long-range atomic arrangements when evaluating potential entropic mixing effects and assumed property correlations in high entropy materials. 

Surface functionalized barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) nanocrystals have been explored for highly tunable chemical and electronic properties, potentially of use in ceramic-polymer composites for flexible ferroelectric device applications, directed synthesis of ferroelectric thin films or other nano-architectures, and other potential applications. The detailed temperature dependent local structure evolution of BaTiO 3 nanocubes capped with nonpolar oleic acid (OA) and polar tetrafluoroborate (BF 4 − ) ligands are investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, in conjunction with piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and 137 Ba nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy measurements. Diffraction analysis reveals that nanocubes capped by polar BF 4 − ligands undergo sharper ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transitions than nanocubes capped with nonpolar OA ligands, with the smallest ∼12 nm nanocubes displaying no transition. Local non-centrosymmetric symmetry is observed by PDF analysis and confirmed by NMR, persisting across the phase transition temperature. Local distortion analysis, manifested in tetragonality ( c / a ) and Ti off-centering ( z Ti ) parameters, reveals distinct temperature and length-scale dependencies with particle size and capping group. Ferroelectric order is increased by polar BF 4 − ligands, which is corroborated by an enhancement of PFM response.