Effects of glucose doping on the MgB2 superconductors using cheap crystalline boron

•First report on glucose doped MgB2 superconductor by single step dry mixing approach.•Cheap crystalline boron used for the sample preparation.•Microstructure and superconducting properties of the superconductors are discussed.•Less degradation in low field critical current density observed.•MgB2 with 2 at. % glucose doped showed the highest Jc, ≈ 2 × 104A/cm2 for 20 K at 3 T.

We report the effect of glucose (C6H12O6) doping on the structural and electromagnetic properties of MgB2 superconductor fabricated by dry mixing using planetary ball milling. Herein, as-prepared bulk polycrystalline Mg (B1–xCx) 2 samples with different doping levels (x = 0, 2, 4, and 6 at. %) were systematically studied by X-ray diffraction, magnetic and resistivity measurements, and microstructure analysis. When carbon doped, the reduction in critical transition temperature and shrinkage in a-lattice were obviously observed. This resulted in structural distortion of the MgB2 lattice, and thereby, enhanced an impurity scattering. In addition to these, upper critical field and high-field critical current densities were also enhanced. On the other hand, both pinning force and low-field critical current density are decreased. The high field enhancement and low field degradation are due to increase in impurity scattering and decrease in pinning force respectively.