Multiferroic properties of NiS nanoplates grown within Na-4 mica

Nanoplates of NiS with thickness 0.6 nm were grown within the crystal channels of Na-4 mica. The thickness of the nanoplates is confirmed by atomic force microscopy. The nanocomposites exhibited multiferroic (both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric) behavior at room temperature. Ferromagnetism was adduced to an increase of surface defects as a result of the two-dimensional configuration of the sample. Ferroelectric behavior was explained as arising due to a small distortion in the crystal structure of NiS grown within the Na-4 mica channels. This was substantiated by the refined values of lattice constants as determined by profile matching of X-ray data by a computer program. A magnetodielectric effect was also observed in this nanocomposite with a change of 0.77% in the dielectric constant for a magnetic field of 0.6 T.