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A new chemical route to synthesise TM-doped (TM = Co, Fe) TiO2 nanoparticles

Manuel R. Nunes 1Olinda C. Monteiro 1Duarte A. Vasconcelos 2António J. Silvestre 3

1. Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CCMM, Campo Grande, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
2. Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Department of Physics, Campo Grande, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
3. Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa and ICEMS, R. Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, Lisboa 1959-007, Portugal

Abstract

Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) exhibiting ferromagnetic behaviour above room temperature are considered key materials for the development of spintronic devices. Among them, TM-doped (TM = Co, Fe) TiO2 based oxides are considered very promising materials to achieve such goals.

In this work we report a new and swift chemical route to synthesise nanoparticles of such oxides. The synthesis of Ti1-xTMxO2 (0≤x≤0.10) anatase phase nanocrystallites was achieved via precipitation of acid solutions of TiCl3 and TM chlorides with ammonia followed by thermal treatment in autoclave with different suspension media. The Ti1-xTMxO2 nanoparticles can be easily stored in suspensions and straightforwardly retrieved by centrifugation whenever necessary. Using such facility, thin films of Ti1-xTMxO2 onto Si (100) substrates were prepared by dip- and spin-coating technique.

Both TM-doped TiO2 nanopowders and films were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electronic microscopy (TEM and SEM), electronic dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and absorption spectroscopy.

Acknowledgments: O.C. Monteiro thanks Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for a pos-doc grant (SFRH/BPD/ 14554/2003). This work is supported by FCT, POCI and co-financed by FEDER (POCI/CTM/57019/2004)

 

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Related papers

Presentation: Oral at E-MRS Fall Meeting 2007, Symposium A, by Olinda C. Monteiro
See On-line Journal of E-MRS Fall Meeting 2007

Submitted: 2007-05-11 18:46
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:44