Magnetic properties and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy of nanocrystalline Ho3Al5O12

Nanocrystalline holmium aluminium garnet (Ho₃Al₅O₁₂) has been prepared for the first time by modified Pechini's reaction after sintering the precursor gel at 1223 K. The nanomaterial has been characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XRD pattern confirms the formation of single‐phase Ho₃Al₅O₁₂; the average size of the nanoparticles has also been determined. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to study the chemical composition and bonding in the as‐prepared samples. The binding energies of core‐level electrons in Ho, Al and O in the title material have been found slightly shifted compared to the values of the respective elements. DC magnetic susceptibility has been measured in the temperature range 2 – 260 K. Low effective magnetic moment of Ho³⁺, μ_eff = 1.35 µ_B and Weiss constant have been derived from the inverse magnetic susceptibility–temperature linear plot. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)