Tuning the Physical Properties of Perovskite Multiferroic Nanoparticles for Green Energy Applications

In recent decades, there has been a notable surge in interest surrounding multiferroic perovskite nanoparticle-based materials. These materials have garnered attention due to their unique structural characteristics, which allow for multiple ferroic order parameters simultaneously coexisting within a specific temperature range. This feature promises to enable intriguing interactions between these ferroic order parameters. The appeal of these materials lies in their capacity to efficiently separate carriers through ferroelectric polarization and generate photo-voltages above the bandgap, paving the way for the creation of innovative multifunctional devices for green energy applications. One significant challenge that has emerged is the quest to reduce the bandgap of these materials to photon energies in the visible range while preserving at least one of the ferroic order parameters. We propose an approach involving elemental composition engineering of multiferroic perovskite nanoparticles to tackle this challenge. Specifically, we suggest the substitutional doping of these nanoparticles with suitable transition metal cations to fine-tune the characteristics of the transition metal−oxygen bond. In this chapter, efforts have been made to summarize the diverse effects of nanoparticle doping, shedding light on how they can modify the properties of multiferroic nanoparticle-based perovskites to make them suitable for green energy applications. We will also provide a concise overview of comprehensive modification procedures, offering insight into alternative methods for tuning the properties of perovskite materials. The behavior of BiFeO3 and transition-metal-doped BiFeO3 is discussed as a representative case of perovskite materials.