Anomalous magnetic behavior in the transition metal ions doped Cu2O flower-like nanostructures

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) flower-like nanostructures doped with various metal ions i.e. Fe, Co, Ni and Mn have been synthesized by an organic phase solution method. The powder X-ray diffraction study clearly reveals them as single phase simple cubic cuprite lattice. Study of their magnetic properties have shown that these doped samples are ferromagnetic in nature; however, no such property was observed for the undoped Cu2O sample. The magnitude of the ferromagnetic behavior was found to be dependent on the dopant metal ions amount, which increased consistently with its increase. As total magnetic moment contribution of the doped metal ions calculated was insignificant, it is believed to have originated from the induced magnetic moments at cation deficiency sites in the material, created possibly due to the disturbance of the crystal lattice by the dopant ions. The existence of the defects has been supported by photoluminescence spectra of the doped samples.