Structural and magnetic properties of Co-doped Gd2O3 nanorods

•Co-doped Gd2O3 nanorods are prepared by hydrothermal method.•Lattice parameter decreases with increasing doping concentration.•Magnetism of Co-doped Gd2O3 nanorods is intrinsic property.

Cobalt-doped Gd2O3 (Gd2−xCoxO3, 0≤x≤0.06) nanorods of about 100 nm diameter and 2 µm length were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. XRD, Raman, XPS, and TEM measurements showed the samples to have a single cubic phase structure of Gd2O3 doped with Co2+ cations, without any cobalt clusters. All the samples showed paramagnetism at room temperature as well as at 5 K. The samples’ high magnetization values at 5 K were due to reduction of the thermal randomization of the magnetic spins. The Curie–Weiss fitting of the magnetic data reflected antiferromagnetism along with paramagnetism due to the exchange interactions of Gd3+ via O2− ions and coupling between Co2+–Co2+ pairs.