Properties of metal atoms hosted inside graphite’s layer lattice

Graphite samples containing several different metals have been prepared and their optical, electrical and magnetic properties investigated. It was found that ordinary metals lose their characteristic metallic lustre on incorporation inside graphite and thus their optical reflectivities are greatly reduced. Electrical conduction of graphite is only slightly altered by transition metal hosting and these observations point towards an absence of metal-donated free electron gas in such composite materials. Nanoscale iron oxide particles are easily accommodated inside graphite’s structure through doping with a ferrofluid and again an absence of long range cooperative effects is observed. Iron oxide-containing graphite exhibits strong paramagnetic behaviour and it was used to make cores for high frequency signal transformers.