Tunable properties of magneto-optical Fe3O4/CdS nanocomposites on size variation of the magnetic component

• Published in: Materials Chemistry and Physics Vol. 151; pp. 105 - 111
• Main Authors: Roychowdhury, Anirban, Pati, Satya Prakash, Kumar, Sanjay, Das, Dipankar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2015; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Composite materials; Luminescence; Magnetization; Mössbauer spectroscopy; Nanostructured materials; Optical materials; Optical materials; Composite materials; Magnetization; Nanostructured materials; Luminescence; Mössbauer spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2014.11.043

Magnetic-fluorescent Fe3O4/CdS nanocomposites (NCs) with size of Fe3O4 varying between 5 and 12 nm have been synthesized by a two-step facile chemical route. XRD, TEM and Raman studies confirmed the phase purity and crystallinity of all the NCs. Photoluminescence peaks at 605 and 677 nm are assigned to sulfur and Cd vacancies respectively in CdS structure. Dc magnetization measurements indicate presence of superparamagnetic (SPM) relaxation in the NC having magnetite of size upto 7 nm whereas the NC containing magnetite of size 12 nm is ferrimagnetic. Ac susceptibility and 57Fe Mössbauer measurements corroborate SPM relaxation in the samples. [Display omitted] •Fe3O4/CdS nanocomposites are prepared by a simple two-step chemical route.•Blue shift in UV–vis spectra of nanocomposites indicates the close proximity effect.•Fluorescence images show super-bright light emission in visible region.•Dc and ac magnetization indicate tunable magnetic properties on size variation.•Mössbauer studies confirm SPM relaxation and formation of nonstoichiometric magnetite.