Controllable synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship of the Ni doping in SmCrO3 with Improved magnetic and dielectric properties

A small-amount of doping into A-site or B-site of SmCrO3 ceramics presents a promising approach to modifying the microstructure, magnetic and dielectric properties. In this study, the polycrystalline ceramics of Sm1–xNixCrO3 (x = 0, 0.05, and 0.20) and SmCr1–yNiyO3 (y = 0.05, and 0.20) were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. Analysis through X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that all the doped ceramics maintained an orthorhombic crystalline structure belonging to the Pbnm space group. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) assessments revealed the presence of Ni2+ ions in the doped specimens. Notably, doping significantly enhanced the low-temperature magnetic properties, particularly in samples doped at the A-site, such as Sm0.80Ni0.20CrO3. Compared to the pristine sample, the maximum magnetization of Sm0.80Ni0.20CrO3 increased by approximately 60.93% in zero field cooling and 93.49% in field cooling mode under an external magnetic field of 100 Oe. Furthermore, doping considerably reduced the thermal activation temperature to around 80 K, with the dielectric constant exceeding 3800 at 100 K while maintaining a high quality factor. Under equivalent doping ratios, A-site doping exhibited distinct advantages over B-site doping, including higher magnetization, lower dielectric loss, and improved electrical quality factors.