Optical and magnetic properties of iron-enriched Fe/FexOy@Au magnetoplasmonic nanostructures

Synthesis and utilization of nanostructures exhibiting both magnetic and plasmonic characteristics have been considered significantly important. In this research, 12-nm iron nanoparticles were first synthesized by the electric arc discharge procedure. Gold nanoparticles were then synthesized via the chemical reduction of gold salt which were used to cover magnetic nanoparticles uniformly. X-ray powder diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, and UV-Vis spectroscopy were implemented to determine available phases, particles sizes, the morphology of nanoparticles and optical characteristics. Surface plasmon resonance behavior appeared at lambda=548nm for iron-based@gold nanoparticles. Vibrating sample magnetometry of iron nanoparticles and iron-based@gold nanoparticles show a superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature and resulted in saturation magnetization values of 80.5 emu/g and 25.7 emu/g, respectively. The results of the facile synthesis will be beneficial for a range of applications in biomedicine including magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement as well as magnetic and optical photothermal therapies.