Synthesis process and structural characterization of the Sr2EuRuO6 complex perovskite

Highlights: ► Crystal structure, surface morphology and composition of Sr2EuRuO6 have been studied. ► Sr2EuRuO6 crystallize in a monoclinic perovskite-type structure in P21/n space group. ► Ru5+ and Eu3+ ions are on the six coordinate M sites, Sr2+ is located in the A-site. ► Scanning electron microscopy and Scherrer formula shows a particle size of D = 34.2 nm. ► Activation energy Q through the Arrhenius plot for Sr2EuRuO6 is close to 39.6 kJ/mol. - Abstract: The Sr2EuRuO6 complex perovskite has been synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and the crystal structure, surface morphology and composition have been investigated. Results of powder X-ray diffraction measurements and Rietveld analysis show that this compound crystallizes in a monoclinic distorted perovskite-type structure, which belongs to the monoclinic P21/n (no. 14) space group, that corresponds to the (a+b−b−) tilt system on the Glazer notation. The structure presents an alternating distribution of the Ru5+ and Eu3+ ions on the six coordinate M sites, while the Sr2+ is located in the A-site of the Sr2EuRuO6 complex perovskite, with lattice parameters a = 5.7996(5) Å, b = 5.8960(7) Å, c = 8.3234(6) Å, angle β = 90.234(7)° and V = 284.61(4) Å3. Morphological analysis of this material, performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), allows to establish the granular feature of compound with agglomerates from amongst ≈1 to 3 μm size, and by means of the Scherrer formula was calculated a particle size of D = 34.2 nm. Result suggests that crystal structure of the Sr2EuRuO6 suffers grain size-induced polarization rotation, which produces a phase transition toward monoclinic phase P21/n (no 14). The activation energy Ea is close to Ea = 39.6 kJ/mol. Suggesting that during the sintering process of the Sr2EuRuO6 is delivering oxygen species that should in fact lower the activation energy Ea of the compound. Semi-quantitative compositional study was carried out from energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) experiments in order to obtain the independent elements percentage of the Sr2EuRuO6 complex perovskite.