Synthesis of a Fe2O3 functionalised graphene oxide nanocomposite by a facile low temperature method and study of its magnetic and hyperfine properties
Abstract Reduced graphene oxide/a Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple sol gel method. Initially, the samples were investigated by X ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. High resolution transmission electron micrographs indicate that the magnetic nanoparticles are well dispersed in the reduced graphene oxide sheet like structure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies corroborate the results obtained by X ray diffraction. Temperature as well as field dependent magnetic measurements revealed ferromagnetism in the pristine a Fe 2 O 3 as well as in the nanocomposite sample that is attributed to surface canted spins and defects present in the samples. The enhanced value of coercivity in case of the nanocomposite sample could be ascribed to the Ruderman Kittel Kasuya Yosida type of interaction between the isolated reduced graphene oxide spin and the magnetic ions. Presence of super paramagnetic doublet as well as sextet patterns related to hematite phase is confirmed by the 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy.