Sintering temperature effect on the magnetic properties of Pr 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 manganite

This paper covers a detailed study of the structural, morphological, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 compound prepared via sol–gel method with different sintering temperatures (700 °C ≤ TS ≤ 1200 °C). The structural study revealed that all samples crystallize in the orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group, with the presence of some impurities for TS ≤ 850 °C. With increasing sintering temperature TS, the Curie temperature shifts from 256 to 290 K. The evolution of the magnetic properties may be explained in terms of the core–shell model. The disordered magnetic behavior induces a spin-glass-like state at low temperature with the presence of Griffiths phase above Curie temperature. Magnetocaloric study indicated a relative cooling power of 97.78 J/kg under 2 T magnetic field at room temperature for the sample sintered at 1000 °C, indicating that this sample is a suitable candidate for magnetic refrigeration.