Structural, optical and magnetic properties of chromium and manganese co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles

• PEG capped SnO2:(Mn, Cr) nanoparticles were synthesized through chemical route.
• Structural, bandgap and magnetic studies were carried out.
• Tunable bandgap with Mn co-doping concentration was noticed.
• SnO2:(Mn, Cr) nanoparticles may find applications in spintronic devices.

The rutile phase Sn0.99-xMnxCr0.01O2 (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07) nanoparticles were synthesized by facile chemical co-precipitation method using poly ethylene glycol (PEG) as a capping agent. The samples were characterized by EDAX to confirm the expected stoichiometry. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses of these samples showed the formation of impurity free crystals with a single phase rutile type tetragonal crystal structure as that of (P42/mnm) of SnO2. Optical absorption spectra and corresponding Tauc's plots showed a redshift of the absorption edge in SnO2 after being co-doped with Cr and Mn. The samples were examined for its magnetic property using vibrating sample magnetometer which indicated that transition of magnetic signals from ferromagnetic to the paramagnetic nature with inclusion of Mn content in SnO2: Cr host matrix. The observed magnetic behavior is well supported with the bound magnetic polarons (BMPs) model.

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