Lanthanide substitution effects in iron containing garnets

The main aim of the present work was to fabricate for the first time the mixed rare earth iron garnets by an aqueous sol-gel method and investigate the lanthanide-substitution effect on the crystal structure of garnets. In this study, the mixed-metal iron garnet Sm3−xYbxFe5O12 (x = 0.75, 1.5, 2.25), Dy1.5R1.5Fe5O12 (R = Ho, Er, Tm) and Lu3−xEuxFe5O12 (x = 0.75, 1.5, 2.25) samples were prepared by an aqueous sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the formation of the single phase mixed rare earth iron garnets. It was demonstrated, that contraction of the crystal lattice appears with the substitution of the bigger rare earth ion with the smaller one on dodecahedral site of mixed rare earth iron garnets.