Controllable synthesis and structure-activity relationship of Ni doping in SmCrO3 for improved magnetic and dielectric properties

• Ni doping at A-site (Sm1−xNixCrO3) significantly enhances low-temperature magnetic properties, with Sm0.80Ni0.20CrO3 showing up to 93.5% increase in field-cooling magnetization at 100 Oe. • A-site Ni doping outperforms B-site doping at equivalent ratios, yielding higher magnetization, lower dielectric loss, and improved electrical quality factors. • All Ni-doped ceramics retain orthorhombic Pbnm structure, and Ni ions exist as Ni2+ as confirmed by XPS. • The study provides a structure-activity relationship for optimizing magnetic and dielectric properties in SmCrO3-based ceramics for potential applications in electronic and spintronic devices.