Towards dilute magnetic semiconductors: Fe and Co substituted inorganic-organic hybrid materials based on ZnSe

Inorganic-organic hybrid nanostructures doped with magnetic ions have been synthesized via substitution of Zn by Co or Fe in the ZnSe(L)(0.5) systems under solvothermal conditions. These dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS), Zn1-xMxSe(L)(0.5) (M = Co, Fe; L = ethylenediamine or en, 1,3-propanediamine or pda; 0 < x < 1), are composed of perfectly ordered Zn1-xMxSe semiconductor monolayers interconnected by organic diamine molecules. The large blue shifts in their optical absorption edges (similar to 1.1-1.5 eV) compared to the bulk ZnSe are a direct result of a very strong quantum confinement effect (QCE). Magnetic studies show that there exist antiferromagnetic interactions between the Co or Fe centers in the structures and the interaction is enhanced as the doping concentration increases. The introduction of Fe or Co to hybrid inorganic-organic semiconductors provides a promising route to generate materials that combine the advantageous features of inorganic, organic, and magnetic functionalities in a single structure.