The impact of ageing on the magnetic properties of Cu(OH)₂nanoribbons

Abstract

We report a comparative study of structural, morphological and magnetic properties of freshly prepared and aged Cu(OH)2 nanoribbons. Microscopy studies, performed with a transmission electron microscope, a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope, demonstrate that the average length of the Cu(OH)2 nanoribbons decreases with ageing. The basic Cu(OH)2 structure is, however, still preserved at this stage, as confirmed by x-ray diffraction measurements. Morphological changes are reflected also in the magnetic properties. For instance, we found that Cu(OH)2 nanoribbons with ageing gradually lose their one-dimensional antiferromagnetic character as the defects, which form during the ageing process, tend to cut the Cu–(OH)2–Cu chains into increasingly shorter segments. These defects in aged samples completely change the spectrum of magnetic excitations and make aged samples much more three-dimensional from the point of view of magnetism.