Structural and magnetic properties of self assembled Fe-doped Cu2O nanorods

Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanorods doped with iron impurities have been synthesized by the polyol method using sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant. The X-ray diffraction measurement reveals the pure phase of simple cubic Cu₂O and the electron microscopy displays its one dimensional morphology. Ferromagnetism was observed at room temperature in the magnetic measurements of the doped samples while undoped sample exhibits only diamagnetism. Room temperature Mössbauer spectra for the samples exhibited only doublets but no sextet, which corresponds to the presence of paramagnetic iron sites. As magnetic moment contribution of the doped ions was insignificant for the observed magnetism, ferromagnetic property in the doped samples could have been originated from the defects as cation vacancies. Existence of the defects was supported by the room temperature photoluminescence spectra of the doped samples in reference to the undoped sample.