Study of structural and magnetic properties of nickel-doped bismuth ferrite electrospun nanofibers

Abstract Bismuth ferrite (BFO) is an emerging multiferroic material. It holds tremendous promise for different applications in its nanofiber form, but doping is necessary to overcome its challenges for practical applications. This study explores the magnetic and structural properties of Ni-substituted BFO nanofibers prepared via electrospinning. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy observations indicate a notable decrease in nanofiber average diameters from 449 to 400 nm with Ni doping. The synthesized fibers exhibit high crystallinity, as evidenced by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging. Fe 3+ ions are identified through XPS peaks at 711.9 and 725.2 eV, respectively, in the BFO nanofibers, which are favorable for magnetic properties. Magnetic measurements show that substituting nickel (Ni) increases the magnetic strength of the BFO nanofibers. The best result was obtained for 7% Ni doping, with the highest saturation magnetization of 2.88 emu g −1 and remanent magnetization of 0.27 emu g −1 , respectively. This study shows that Ni doping into BFO nanofibers is an effective way to enhance the material’s performance when used in electronic devices.