Carbon-based magnetic nanomaterials

Abstract: Magnetism of carbon-based materials is a challenging area for both fundamental research and possible applications. We present studies of low-dimensional carbon-based magnetic systems (fullerene-diluted molecular magnets, carbon nanotubes, graphite fluoride, and nanoporous carbon) by means of SQUID magnetometer, X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy, the latter techniques used as complementary instruments to find a correlation between the magnetic behaviour and the structure of the samples.In the first part of the thesis, characteristic features of the magnetization process in aligned films of carbon nanotubes with low concentration of iron are discussed. It is shown that the magnetism of such structures is influenced by quantum effects, and the anisotropy behaviour is opposite to what is observed in heavily doped nanotubes.In the second part, Mn12-based single molecular magnets with various carboxylic ligands and their 1:1 fullerene-diluted complexes are studied. We prove that magnetic properties of such systems strongly depend on the environment, and, in principle, it is possible to design a magnet with desirable properties. One of the studied compounds demonstrated a record blocking temperature for a single molecular magnet. Both fullerene-diluted complexes demonstrated “magnetization training” effect in alternating magnetic fields and the ability to preserve magnetic moment.The third and the fourth parts of the thesis are dedicated to the analysis of various contributions to the magnetic susceptibility of metal-free carbon-based systems – intercalated compounds of graphite fluorides and nanoporous oxygen-eroded graphite. The magnetic properties of these systems are strongly dependent on structure, and can be delicately tuned by altering the ?-electron system of graphite, i. e. by degree of fluorination of intercalated compounds and by introduction of boron impurity to the host matrix of nanoporous graphite.