Structure and magnetic properties of electrospun rare earth orthochromites nanofibers

The rare earth chromites RCrO3 (R--La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd) nanofibers were fabricated by a straightforward electrospinning technique. The electrospun RCrO3 nanofibers have orthorhombic structures with space group Pnma (62). Raman spectra showed the characteristic vibration states, such as rotation, bending, and stretching of the CrO6 octahedra. The RCrO3 nanofibers possessed uniform microstructure. The magnetic properties of the RCrO3 nanofibers were illustrated. The bifurcation of ZFC and FC curves indicated the magnetic irreversibility and a weak ferromagnetic behavior; the phase transition from paramagnetic state at high temperature to anti -ferromagnetic state at low temperature in the temperature range of 167-288 K; the other ferromagnetic phase transition occurred at the temperature lower than 22 K. Moreover, GdCrO3 nanofibers exhibited the magnetic transition from paramagnetic to diamagnetic behavior.