Investigating magnetic and optical properties of layered iron phosphorus trisulfide intercalated with organic compounds

Abstract This study focuses on testing the optical and magnetic properties of the layered iron phosphorous trisulfide nanomaterial (FePS 3 ) with methyl viologen (MV) (1,1′-dimethyl–4,4′-bipyridilium dichloride) and butyl amine (BA). The materials were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmittance electron microscope (TEM), Infrared spectroscopy (IR), optical measurement, and magnetic property measurements (VSM). SEM image shows lamellar and layered structure of the FePS 3 , and TEM images represents nanoscale particles, approximately 14–26 nm in size. The FePS 3 fingerprint hkl phases detected by XRD prior to intercalation. The intercalation of MV into the interlayer space of FePS 3 caused a phase transformation, and the hkl phases of FePS 3 disappeared; this is because the intercalation modifies the crystal structure of the FePS 3 , and preferred orientation causes the disappearance of the original hkl phases too. Magnetic testing of the M-H curve shows that FePS 3 is antiferromagnetic, but it becomes paramagnetic after intercalation with MV. The intercalation of FePS 3 with BA resulted in narrow magnetic hysteresis loops, indicating ferromagnetic behavior. Extremely small amounts of residual magnetism (Hr) are produced due to the narrow magnetic hysteresis loop. Intercalation with MV and BA enhances FePS 3 reflectivity. The intercalated compounds, FePS 3 -MV and FePS 3 -BA, show a rise in band gap energy.