The oxygen deficient cubic perovskite SrFe1−xScxO3−δ (x ≤ 0.5; 0.1 ≤ δ ≤ 0.5): Structural features and physical properties

Abstract : Solid state synthesis method has been used to stabilize oxygen deficient perovskite phases SrFe1−xScxO3−δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5). The good homogeneity of samples is confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis performed with a transmission electronic microscope (TEM). By combining X-ray and electronic diffraction (ED), it is demonstrated that the cationic substitution on the B site of the perovskite induces a decrease of the oxygen content but without inducing long range ordering phenomenon. On this basis, X-ray patterns of compounds were indexed in the cubic Pm3m space group. The oxidation states of iron evidenced by Mössbauer spectroscopy, are in good agreement with the oxygen stoichiometries determined by cerimetric titration. In the SrFe1−xScxO3−δ series, the Fe3+/Fe4+ origin of the electronic conductivity is clearly evidenced. The limit compound SrFe0.5Sc0.5O2.5 is highly resistive and characterized by a cluster glass-like behaviour. Finally, negative magnetoresistivity properties are revealed for the x = 0.1 and x = 0.2 samples, reaching −10% around the magnetic transition temperature in a 7T magnetic field.