Electronic, electrical and magnetic behaviours of reduced graphene-oxide functionalized with silica coated gold nanoparticles

We have synthesized graphene-oxide (GO) by the modified hummer's process and subsequently reduced it with gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) using silica coated colloidal Au-NPs and hydrazine monohydrate solutions to form r-GO:Au-NPs nanocomposites. We have studied the microstructure, electronic, electrical and magnetic properties of r-GO and r-GO:Au-NPs nanocomposites. We have observed from the Raman spectroscopy that the intensity of D-peak (disorder) gets reduced with respect to G (graphite-cluster) in r-GO:Au-NPs composites. The reduction of I _D /I _G ratio obtained from Raman spectra [r-GO: 1.22 → r-GO:(Au-NPs) _4.88 : 0.98] clearly indicates that the sp ² -cluster is reduced in r-GO:Au-NPs nanocomposites. The reduction of sp ² -cluster and/or enhancement of sp ³ -cluster is due to replacement of sp ² -cluster by the Au-NPs. This observation also observed from the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements that are consistence with reduction of conductivity as we observe from the current (I) - voltage (V) characteristics of the nanocomposites. Magnetic M-H hysteresis loops show the magnetization is enhanced in r-GO:Au-NPs nanocomposites. We believe that the reduction of conductivity and enhancement of magnetization of r-GO:Au nanocomposites would be most suitable for ferro-electro-magnetic materials for the memory storage device applications.