Ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties of Aurivillius phase Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27（Me 5 Fe, Co, Ni, Mn）

New Aurivillius phase Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27(Me = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn) oxides have been prepared using a citrate combustion method. X-ray diffraction on powders and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigation confirmed that the Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27 samples are with an eight-layer structure. Both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric investigations suggested that Co or Ni substitution could enhance their multiferroic properties,while Mn substitution depressed them. Among all the samples, Bi9Fe4.7Co0.3Ti3O27 sample exhibits the largest remnant polarization of Pr*3.8 l C/cm2, and the largest remnant magnetization of Mr*0.06 lB/f.u. with a Curie temperature about 764 K, while the Bi9Fe4.7Ni0.3Ti3O27 sample has the largest spontaneous magnetization(0.26 lB/f.u.). The improved ferromagnetic properties ofboth Bi9Fe4.7Co0.3Ti3O27 and Bi9Fe4.7Ni0.3Ti3O27 can be ascribed to the spin canting of magnetic ion-based sublattices via the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and also the magnetic ions exchanging interactions(Fe3–O–Co3or Fe3–O–Ni3).