Structure and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles

We report the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Zn1−xMnxO compounds synthesized by a combustion method. The Zn1−xMnxO compounds with x=0–0.1 crystallize in the wurtzite ZnO structure. The lattice parameters a and c of Zn1−xMnxO increase linearly with the Mn content, indicating that Mn2+ ions substitute for Zn2+ ions. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the average particle radius of Zn0.95Mn0.05O is about 40 nm. From the Curie–Weiss behavior of susceptibility at high temperature, it was found that the Mn–Mn interaction is dominated by antiferromagnetic coupling with effective nearest-neighbor exchange constant J about −32 K and the large negative value of the Curie–Weiss temperature.