Magnetic properties of GdMnO3 nanoparticles embedded in mesoporous silica

Perovskite manganite GdMnO3 nanoparticles were synthesized using mesoporous silica as a template, and their magnetic properties and crystal structure were investigated. Powder X-ray diffraction data indicated successful synthesis of the GdMnO3 nanoparticles, with mean particle sizes of 13.9 and 20.9 nm. The lattice constants for the nanoparticles were slightly different from those for the bulk material and varied with the particle size. The magnetic transition temperatures for the nanoparticles were higher than those of the bulk crystal. The synthesized GdMnO3 nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behaviors: The blocking temperature, coercive field, and transition temperature depended on the particle size. Magnetic measurements and crystal structure analysis suggest that the changes in the magnetic properties for GdMnO3 nanoparticles can be attributed to the modulation of the crystallographic structure.