Magnetic enhancement and magnetic signal tunability of (Mn, Co) co-doped SnO2 dilute magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles.

Highlights • (Mn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles are fabricated by the CPACP technique. • Enhanced magnetization is fulfilled in the co-doped system. • Transition from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism is observed in the co-doped system. • The excessively Mn doping leads to a diamagnetic behavior. Abstract Co and Mn-Co co-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized using a simple technique called as citrate precursor assisted co-precipitation (CPACP). Structural and compositional analyses by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that Co and Mn ions were incorporated into the SnO 2 host lattice without changing the inherent rutile structure. The average crystallite size of the prepared samples were estimated to be in the range of 8–12 nm. In a single Co2+-doped SnO 2 sample, the magnetization was observed to increase as the Co2+ ions concentration increased. The transition metal Mn can adjust the magnetic signal of the Co2+-doped SnO 2 sample, which is subject to the concentration of Mn dopant. Adding a proper amount of Mn to the Co2+-doped SnO 2 sample enhanced the magnetization. As the Mn2+ ions concentration increases, the magnetic properties of the (Mn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles gradually shift from ferromagnetic behavior to superparamagnetism. However, the sample Sn 0.83 Mn 0.12 Co 0.05 O 2 exhibits diamagnetic behavior when the concentration of Mn2+ ions is doped excessively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]