LAUSR

Nearly pure BiFeO3 powders were synthesized by the solution combustion method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as fuel at various fuel to oxidant ratios (φ). Phase evolution, morphology, magnetic and optical properties were characterized by thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffractometry, electron microscopy, photoluminescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques, respectively. An impurity Bi24Fe2O39 phase appeared while increasing the fuel content. Magnetization of the as-combusted BiFeO3 powders increased from 0.5 emu/g to 11.1 emu/g on account of the decrease in particle size and appearance of the impurity phase with the increase of φ values. Visible light absorption and band gap energy depended on the purity and morphology, being tunable by fuel content. About 85% of methylene blue was photodegraded in the presence of the powders prepared by φ = 0.5 under visible light irradiation.