Solvothermal Synthesis and Interfacial Magnetic Interaction of β-FeSe/SrTiO3-x Nanocomposites

Abstract

Hybridization of nanomaterials, combined by interfacial fusion, have drawn tremendous interests because of their novel properties induced by structurally matched interfaces. Here we report a solvothermal route that can synthesize beta-FeSe/SrTiO(3-x)composites made of beta-FeSe nanosheets (NSs) and SrTiO(3-x)nanoparticles (NPs). Various spectroscopic data such as XRD, SEM, and TEM with elemental maps confirm the formation of nanocomposite architecture. Electron microscopy images of beta-FeSe/SrTiO(3-x)show that small SrTiO(3-x)NPs in the cuboidal form are firmly bound to a sizable beta-FeSe sheet with a thickness of several nanometers. The beta-FeSe/SrTiO(3-x)composite shows paramagnetic, which was determined using a SQUID magnetometer. The ferromagnetic property of individual FeSe NPs appears to be suppressed by interfacial interaction between beta-FeSe and SrTiO3-x, clearly showing the presence of the proximity-induced effect in the nanocomposites.