Probing bismuth ferrite nanoparticles by hard x-ray photoemission: Anomalous occurrence of metallic bismuth

We have investigated bismuth ferrite nanoparticles (∼75 nm and ∼155 nm) synthesized by a chemical method, using soft X-ray (1253.6 eV) and hard X-ray (3500, 5500, and 7500 eV) photoelectron spectroscopy. This provided an evidence for the variation of chemical state of bismuth in crystalline, phase pure nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis using Mg Kα (1253.6 eV) source showed that iron and bismuth were present in both Fe3+ and Bi3+ valence states as expected for bismuth ferrite. However, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the bismuth ferrite nanoparticles using variable photon energies unexpectedly showed the presence of Bi0 valence state below the surface region, indicating that bismuth ferrite nanoparticles are chemically inhomogeneous in the radial direction. Consistently, small-angle X-ray scattering reveals a core-shell structure for these radial inhomogeneous nanoparticles.