Characterization of nanosized nickel prepared by surface reactions of Ni-?-organyl complexes on silica: An electron paramagnetic and ferromagnetic resonance study

Abstract

Dispersed atomic nickel(0) is formed during the reaction of the nickel-σ-organyl complexes with silanol groups at temperatures below 373 K. That nickel is oxidized to Ni(I) by protons of the silanol groups in a consecutive step. The Ni(I) portion amounts to about 70% w/w of the Ni used. Six different Ni(I) species are detected by electron paramagnetic resonance. They are stabilized by interaction with the silica surface and the organic moieties; they act as anchor ions for the Ni(0) atoms. Ni(0) crystallites stabilized in this way are about 0.5 nm in diameter after a treatment at 373 K. The influence of the Ni(I) ions on the collective, magnetic properties of the clusters is revealed by calculation of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra using the independent-grain approach according to Schlömann and Kotyukov. A strain of about 10 GPa is brought about in the nickel crystallites by the interaction with Ni(I) ions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.