Crystal Structure, Defects, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties of the Layered Bi3n+1Ti7Fe3n–3O9n+11 Perovskite-Anatase Intergrowths

The Bi3n+1Ti7Fe3n–3O9n+11 materials are built of (001)p plane-parallel perovskite blocks with a thickness of n (Ti,Fe)O6 octahedra, separated by periodic translational interfaces. The interfaces are based on anatase-like chains of edge-sharing (Ti,Fe)O6 octahedra. Together with the octahedra of the perovskite blocks, they create S-shaped tunnels stabilized by lone pair Bi3+ cations. In this work, the structure of the n = 4–6 Bi3n+1Ti7Fe3n–3O9n+11 homologues is analyzed in detail using advanced transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The connectivity of the anatase-like chains to the perovskite blocks results in a 3ap periodicity along the interfaces, so that they can be located either on top of each other or with shifts of ±ap along [100]p. The ordered arrangement of the interfaces gives rise to orthorhombic Immm and monoclinic A2/m polymorphs with the unit cell parameters a = 3ap, b = bp, c = 2(n + 1)cp and a = 3ap, b = bp, c = 2(n + 1)cp – ap, respectively...