Low-temperature magnetic property of polymer encapsulated gold nanoparticles

Gold-polyaniline composite is reported by the polymerization of aniline hydrochloride monomer using HAuCl₄ as the oxidant. HAuCl₄ was dissolved in toluene using a phase-transfer catalyst, Aliquat 336. The oxidative polymerization of aniline hydrochloride leads to the formation of polyaniline with a diameter of <50 nm, while the reduction in auric acid results in the formation of gold nanoparticles with an average diameter ∼4 nm. The resultant composite material was characterized by means of different techniques, such as UV-vis, IR, and Raman spectroscopies, which offered the information about the chemical structure of polymer, whereas electron microscopy images provided information regarding the morphology of the composite material and the distribution of the metal particles in the polymer matrix. dc-magnetization measurements down to low temperatures (2 K) enabled the identification of a small, but field-independent paramagnetic behavior of the composite, and this is argued to originate from the charge transfer between the gold 5d -electron shell and the organic matrix. We believe that this material holds promise for both electronic and magnetic applications through suitable concentration levels of the metallic dopant.