Effects of processing parameters on the morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of Cu1−xFexCr2Se4 nanoparticles synthesized with chemical methods

Abstract

Cu1−xFexCr2Se4 nanoparticles with x = 0, 0.2, and 0.4 were synthesized via thermal decomposition of metal nitrate or chloride salts and selenium powder using different precursor compositions and processing details. Single crystalline nano-belts or nano-rods coexist in the synthesized powder samples with hexagon-shaped plates in dependence on the precursor composition. The belts gathered into conglomerates forming “hierarchical” particles. Visible magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of Cu1−xFexCr2Se4 nanoparticles embedded into a transparent matrix was investigated for the first time. The similarity of the MCD spectra of all samples showed the similarity of the nanoparticles electronic structure independent of their morphology. Basing on the MCD spectral maxima characteristics, electron transitions from the ground to the excited states were identified with the help of the conventional band theory and the multi-electron approach.