ABSTRACT
In the past decade, the surprising magnetic behavior of gold nanoparticles has been reported. This unexpected property is mainly attributed both to size and surface effects. Mesoporous thin films are ideal matrices for metallic nanoparticles inclusion, because of their highly accessible and tailorable pore systems that lead to completely tunable chemical environments. Exploiting these features, we synthesized Au nanoparticles within mesoporous titania thin films (film thickness of â¼150 nm and pore diameter of â¼5 nm), and we studied their magnetic properties under confinement. Here, we present the results of the magnetization as a function of temperature and magnetic field for this system, which are consistent with the previously reported for free (unconfined) thiol-capped gold nanoparticles. The successful inclusion of stable magnetic Au nanoparticles within transparent mesoporous thin films opens the gates for the application of these nanocomposites in two-dimensional (2D) microdevices technology and magneto-optical devices.
ABSTRACT
The space-resolved electrical conductivity of patterned silver nanoparticle (NP) arrays embedded in mesoporous TiO(2) thin films was locally evaluated using a conductive-tip AFM. A remarkable conductivity dependence on the film mesostructure and metal NP loading was observed, confirming a three-dimensional current flow throughout the nanocomposite.
