Synthesis, Structural, and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Ti0.95Co0.05O2-Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors

With a view to investigate the influence of nanometric size on the structural, surface, and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Ti0.95Co0.05O2-diluted magnetic semiconductors, prepared by a novel simple controllable peroxide-assisted reflux chemical route followed by annealing at different temperatures, a systematic investigation has been undertaken. Structural characterizations such as X-ray diffraction followed by Rietveld refinement, electron diffraction pattern, Fourier transform infrared, Raman scattering, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements have shown anatase phase formation in nanocrystalline Ti0.95Co0.05O2 without any additional impurity phases. The modified reflux chemical route was effective in obtaining pure phase Ti0.95Co0.05O2 nanoparticles. Surface morphological investigations by using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements showed the predominant effect of random distribution of nanoparticles on the aggregation behavior and local microstructural changes. The deconvoluted XPS core level Co 2p spectral study manifested the oxidation state of Co as + 2 and is found to be stable with varying particle size and annealing temperature. The ferromagnetic behavior was investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer, magnetic force microscopy, and electron spin resonance measurements. These magnetization studies showed all the samples are ferromagnetic at room temperature without any magnetic clusters. The correlation between structure, surface condition of the nanoparticles and local electronic interactions, and magnetization of the samples was analyzed and explored the origin of ferromagnetism.