Role of surface functionalization in ZnO:Fe nanostructures
- a Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, India
- b Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, India
- c Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India
- Received 28 June 2013
- Revised 7 December 2013
- Accepted 13 December 2013
- Available online 27 December 2013
Highlights
- •
The ex situ surface functionalization in ZnO:Fe nanostructures by Tri-n-butylamine.
- •
Enhancement of ferromagnetism in ZnO:Fe by amine capping.
- •
The amine capping treatment induced zinc vacancies.
Abstract
In this work, we have explored the effect of surface functionalization in ZnO:Fe nanostructures. The ZnO:Fe nanostructures (NS), synthesized through hydrothermal route, have been surface functionalized (capped) by Tri-n-butylamine (amine). These samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) illustrate that obtained nanostructures are high aspect ratio nanorods. Room temperature Mössbauer spectra (MS) of the samples indicate the presence of paramagnetic iron state i.e. Fe3+ in ZnO host. The ferromagnetic (FM) behavior of the samples was investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) which shows that the significant enhancement of saturation magnetization in amine capped ZnO:Fe samples. This observed/enhanced ferromagnetism has been explained in terms of modification in the ZnO conduction band. The enhanced ferromagnetism due to surface functionalization has been justified by XRD, PL, FTIR and MS.
