Mӧssbauer Spectroscopy Investigations on Terbium Oxide Ball Milled with Hematite Nanoparticles System

Abstract

For the first time in literature we report a Mӧssbauer spectroscopy investigation on terbium oxide ball milled with hematite nanoparticles for molar concentrations of x=0.1, 0.3 and 0.5.  The samples were synthesized by mechanochemical activation using high energy ball milling for milling times between 0-12 hours.  The Mӧssbauer spectra were deconvoluted by using Lorentzian line shapes with 2 sextets and a quadrupole split doublet. The sextets corresponded to hematite and terbium-doped hematite and the doublet was assigned to terbium iron perovskite (terbium orthoferrite).  It is known that Tb4O7 decomposes into Tb2O3 at high temperatures, as those involved in ball milling.  Mӧssbauer spectroscopy proved to be a high resolution experimental technique to characterize the structural and magnetic properties of mixed-oxide nanoparticles systems.