Structural and electrical properties of Yb, Sn doped barium zirconate as a novel perovskite

The materials of Ba(1-x)YbxZr(1-y)SnyO3 (x, y = 0.05–0.2) have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and sintered at 1200 °C for 6 hours. The XRD confirmed single-phase cubic structures (Pm-3m space group) with crystallite sizes decreasing from 48.67 nm to 39.86 nm as dopant concentrations increased. The FTIR validated the cubic phase, showing absorption peaks at 496–508 cm−1. From UV-Vis spectroscopy, the band gap energy has been obtained from 4.40 eV to 4.88 eV. The absorption peaks were observed at 387 nm, 371 nm, 424 nm, and 427 nm, respectively. Dielectric constant increased with higher dopant concentrations, indicating enhanced polarization within the material, while low dielectric loss highlighted insulating suitability. Ionic conductivity was a maximum value of 5.0 × 10−4 S/m and is due to the formation of oxygen vacancies caused by Yb3 + and Sn2 + substitution, which enhances ion transport through the perovskite lattice.