On the low-temperature anomaly of the magnetic properties of NiO nanoparticles

What is it about?

Nanoparticles of nickel oxide, NiO, have been shown to exhibit anomalous magnetic properties at low temperatures. This work shows that the anomalous properties are associated with the formation of a thin hydroxide layer on the surface of the nanoparticles, indicating the importance of sample handling and data analysis.

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Why is it important?

Some anomaly has been reported on the magnetic properties of NiO nanostructures. For the first time, it has been shown that the anomaly is not an intrinsic property and is related to the formation of a ferromagnetic hydroxide layer on the surface of the antiferromagnetic NiO core, leading to exchange bias effects.