Magnetic properties of Fe-doped Zn-TiO₂ rutile nanoparticles

Nanoparticles Fe (x wt. %)-doped Zn-TiO₂ rutile powders, with x between 0 an 10 wt. %, were prepared using a solution chemistry route based on the wet-gel stirring method. Using the TEM images we found that the powder samples exhibit nanorods and nanosheets with nanorods oriented in different directions and accompanied by an amorphous Zn on the surface. The average length of these nanorods is about 60 nm and they have an average diameter of 7 nm. The x-ray diffraction patterns revealed the formation of the nanocrystalline particles with the rutile phase, which is characterized by the (101) diffraction peak. The magnetic properties of the samples were studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) in magnetic filed up to 13.5 kOe and in the temperature range of 100 K to 300 K. We found that the magnetization of the samples does not saturate in the maximum available field. The magnetization (M) at an applied magnetic field of 13.5 kOe is found to increase with increasing the Fe percentage at room temperature and at 100 K. TEM measurements and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) were used to image the samples.