Magnetic Properties and XAFS Analysis of PEG-Coated Gd-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles

In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated Gd-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared by the one-pot solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicated that all the prepared samples had a wurtzite structure. The size of the nanoparticles could be controlled to be approximately 15 nm. Magnetization measurements using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer indicated that the saturation magnetization was enhanced by Gd doping. Local structure analysis by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements revealed the presence of oxygen vacancies, suggesting that this is related to the increased magnetization of the prepared samples.