Mn-doped ZnO nanonails and their magnetic properties.
Mn-doped ZnO nanonails composed of hexagonal caps and shafts with large doping concentrations from 11.7 to 35.1 at.% were synthesized via a simple and straightforward non-aqueous solution-based route. The chemical composition, morphology and structure of the obtained nanocrystals were characterized by energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, powder x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the nanonails possess a single-crystal wurtzite structure. Electron paramagnetic resonance results indicate that Mn(2+) ions substitute for the zinc sites in the ZnO matrix, which is also confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy. Thermal tolerance experiments show that the Mn-doped nanonails can maintain their crystalline structure up to 700 degrees C. The influence of reaction conditions on the size and shape of the ZnO-based samples has been investigated in detail, and the possible growth mechanism of the nanonails has also been discussed.
Institute of Marine Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. ylzhang@shmtu.edu.cn
Yuliang
Y
Zhang
Hua
H
Zhang
Xiaofeng
X
Li
Lihua
L
Dong
Xinhua
X
Zhong