H. L. Su

Unusual high-temperature ferromagnetism of PbPd0.81Co0.19O2 nanograin film

Single-phase PbPd0.81Co0.19O2 film with a body-centered orthorhombic structure was prepared using the sol-gel spin-coating technique and an oxidation treatment. Film resistivity has a power dependence on temperature. The insulator-metal transition temperature was 358 K, markedly higher than the reported values of similar material systems. Ferromagnetism and superparamagnetism coexisted in the film and the ferromagnetism persisted up to 380 K. As temperature increased, the notable increasing tendencies were found for the film’s saturation magnetization and for the magnetic field where saturation magnetization decreases abruptly. The special spin gapless band structure and the film’s nanograin microstructure are likely responsible for these interesting properties.

Microstructure and magnetism of Co-doped PbPdO2 films with different grain sizes

Single-phase Co-doped PbPdO2 films with grain sizes ranging from 30 nm to 120 nm were synthesized using a sol–gel spin-coating method. The doped Co ions exhibit a mixed state of 2+ and 3+, which is caused by the existence of Pb vacancies and the low electronegativity of Co. Ferromagnetism, paramagnetism, antiferromagnetism and a charge ordering state were observed in all of the Co-doped PbPdO2 films. Additionally, the charge ordering signal determined by the surface state of the nanograins is gradually weakened with decreasing grain size. The carrier-mediated mechanism bridged to the bound magnetic polaron model was used to explain the coexistence of the ferromagnetism, paramagnetism and antiferromagnetism. For the ferromagnetism, the tendency of the saturation magnetization to increase with temperature was found in all the Co-doped PbPdO2 films with a nanograin structure. This abnormal magnetic behavior is believed to be one of the peculiar features of spin gapless semiconductors.

Origin of p-type conductivity of Sb-doped ZnO nanorods and the local structure around Sb ions

To probe the origin of p-type conductivity in Sb-doped ZnO, a careful and detailed synchrotron radiation study was performed. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations provided the evidence for the formation of the complex defects comprising substitution Sb ions at Zn sites (SbZn) and Zn vacancies within the Sb-doped ZnO lattice. Such complex defects result in the increases of Sb-O coordination number and the Sb valence and thereby lead to the p-type conductivity of Sb-doped ZnO. The back-gate field-effect-transistors based on single nanorod of Sb-doped ZnO were constructed, and the stable p-type conduction behavior was confirmed.

Dependence of magnetism on the doping level of Zn1−xMnxTe nanoparticles synthesized by a hydrothermal method

Mn-doped ZnTe nanoparticles with various degrees of Mn-doping from 3 at.% to 18 at.% were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. A single-phase zinc-blende-structured sample was obtained only at the Mn-doping level of 3 at.%, while the impurity phase of MnO was present in the samples with higher degrees of Mn-doping. In all of the samples, the Mn valence states were lower than 2+. All samples exhibited both ferromagnetism and paramagnetism. The ferromagnetism is mainly attributable to the overlapping of the bound magnetic polarons and the paramagnetism is mainly caused by the isolated polarons and Mn ions. Samples that were doped with 3 at.% and 6 at.% Mn also exhibited superparamagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The superparamagnetism may have arisen from the presence of some tiny ferromagnetic nanoparticles. The antiferromagnetism is believed to have arisen mainly from the carrier-mediated interaction among Mn ions.

High-temperature ferromagnetism of Cu-doped PbPdO2 nanograin films

The single-phase, body-centered orthorhombic-structured, Cu-doped PbPdO2 films with a nanograin structure were synthesized by using the sol–gel spin-coating method and an oxidation treatment. It was found that large amounts of Pb vacancies exist in the nanograin film and Pb ions possess a mixed valence state of 2+ and 4+. Besides the superparamagnetism and the charge ordering state, the magnetic studies displayed that ferromagnetism, which can persist up to 380 K, exists in the Cu-doped PbPdO2 nanograin film. As a peculiar characteristic of the spin gapless semiconductor, the ferromagnetic saturation magnetization increasing unusually with temperatures above 300 K was also discovered. The bound magnetic polarons based on the Pb vacancies, the doped Cu2+ ions, and the Pb ions with a valence higher than 2+ were believed to be the origin of such high-temperature ferromagnetism.Graphical abstract

Electrodeposition and Characterization of Sb-doped ZnO Nanostructures

Large scale Sb-doped ZnO nanorod arrays were grown utilizing electrochemical solution method with suitable combination of Zn(NO3)2, HMT and SbCl3 precursors. The influences of the pH value and the substrate on the morphology and the crystallization of Sb-doped ZnO nanorods were investigated in detail. The formed Sb-doped ZnO nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Characteristics of luminescence and crystal qualities were represented by the room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was found that the pH value had a great effect on the luminescent intensity of the ultraviolet peak and the defect-related luminescence peak. The Sb-ZnO nanorods with a hexagonal wurtzite structures fabricated under the pH value of 5 showed an intense ultraviolet emission and a weak visible emission, demonstrating the good crystal quality of the nanorods. For the substrates of flexible conductive woven nickel-copper fibers, ITO conductive glass and commercial AZO conductive glass, well-crystallized Sb-doped ZnO nanorods can be all achieved. But the crystallographic orientation of nanorods strongly relied on the substrate type.