Phonon properties of nanosized bismuth layered ferroelectric material-Bi2WO6

• Published in: Journal of Raman spectroscopy Vol. 41; no. 9; pp. 1059 - 1066
• Main Authors: Ma̧czka, M., Macalik, L., Hermanowicz, K., Kȩpiński, L., Tomaszewski, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-09-2010
• Subjects: Aurivillius phase; Bi2WO6; bismuth layered ferroelectrics; Crystallites; Distortion; infrared spectra; Infrared spectroscopy; Nanocomposites; Nanocrystals; Nanomaterials; nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Particle size; Raman spectra
• ISSN: 0377-0486; 1097-4555; 1097-4555
• DOI: 10.1002/jrs.2526

Nanosized Bi2WO6 was synthesized by a mild hydrothermal crystallization process. This method allowed obtaining plate‐like crystallites of very small thickness (down to 3 nm). The effect of particle size on the structure and properties of Bi2WO6 was studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and Raman and infrared spectroscopies. It has been shown that the orthorhombic distortion decreases with decreasing particle size, but the structure of the smallest crystallites is still orthorhombic. Raman studies have also revealed a very strong intensity decrease for those modes that appear mainly for incident and scattered light polarized perpendicular to the layers. This behavior has been attributed to a decrease in the orthorhombic distortion and a plate‐like shape of the nanocrystallites. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of particle size on the structure and properties of Bi2WO6 was studied by X‐ray, TEM, and Raman and IR spectroscopies. The results show that the orthorhombic distortion decreases with decreasing particle size but the ferroelectric properties should be preserved even in very small crystallites (9 nm).