Oxygen vacancy and dopant concentration dependent magnetic properties of Mn doped TiO2 nanoparticle

Abstract Mn doped TiO 2 nanoparticles are synthesized by sol–gel method. Incorporation of Mn shifts the diffraction peak of TiO 2 to lower angle. The position and width of the Raman peak and photoluminescence intensity of the doped nanoparticles varies with oxygen vacancy and Mn doping level. The electron spin resonance spectra of the Mn doped TiO 2 show peaks at g = 1.99 and 4.39, characteristic of Mn 2+ state. Reduction in the emission intensity, on Mn doping, is owing to the increase of nonradiative oxygen vacancy centers. Mn doped TiO 2 , with 2% Mn, shows ferromagnetic ordering at low applied field. Paramagnetic contribution increases as Mn loading increases to 4% and 6%. Temperature dependent magnetic measurement shows a small kink in the ZFC curve at about 40 K, characteristic of Mn 3 O 4 . The ferromagnetic ordering is possibly due to the interaction of the neighboring Mn 2+ ions via oxygen vacancy ( F + center). Increase in Mn concentration increases the fraction of Mn 3 O 4 phase and thereby increases the paramagnetic ordering.