Paper on Oxidation Behavior of Fe2CrO4+δ Thin Films Published in ACS Omega

Our new paper on the reversible oxidation behavior of Fe2CrO4+δ / MgAl2O4 thin films has been published in ACS Omega! Led by Mark Scafetta, this paper describes optical measurements of oxidation behavior, which provide insight into the thermal history and properties of an important class of functional materials.

From the abstract:

We report on the structural and optical properties of Fe2CrO4+δ epitaxial films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on MgAl2O4 (001) as a function of δ (average cation valence). The average Fe valence is linked to the out-of-plane lattice parameter and the extent of light absorption in the infrared spectral region. Over-oxidized films (0 < δ < 0.5) exhibit smaller lattice parameters and suppressed infrared absorption. The lattice parameter is found to differ for films of equivalent oxidation state but different thermal histories. We discuss the behavior of a novel infrared transition present at ∼0.6 eV in Fe2CrO4 films deposited at or above 400 °C. An optical transition found in all films at 0.9 eV independent of the synthesis temperature can be used to quantify the oxidation state of Fe2CrO4+δ. This research provides new insights into the atomic structure, optical processes, oxidation states, electronic structure, and application potential of Fe2CrO4+δ.

To view the manuscript, visit: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b03299

To download it directly, click here.