Nanoscale x-ray investigation of magnetic metallofullerene peapods. (2nd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fritz, Fabian; Westerström, Rasmus; Kostanyan, Aram; Schlesier, Christin; Dreiser, Jan; Watts, Benjamin; Houben, Lothar; Luysberg, Martina; Avdoshenko, Stanislav M; Popov, Alexey A; Schneider, Claus M; Meyer, Carola
• Is Part Of: Nanotechnology. Volume 28:Number 43(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-10-02
• Subjects: CNT -- endohedral fullerenes -- HRTEM -- STXM -- XMCD; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Publications périodiques; Nanotechnologies; Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa8b4c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4484

Abstract

Abstract: Endohedral lanthanide ions packed inside carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a one-dimensional assembly have been studied with a combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). By correlating HRTEM and STXM images we show that structures down to 30 nm are resolved with chemical contrast and record x-ray absorption spectra from endohedral lanthanide ions embedded in individual nanoscale CNT bundles. XMCD measurements of an Er3 N@C80 bulk sample and a macroscopic assembly of filled CNTs indicate that the magnetic properties of the endohedral Er 3+ ions are unchanged when encapsulated in CNTs. This study demonstrates the feasibility of local magnetic x-ray characterisation of low concentrations of lanthanide ions embedded in molecular nanostructures.