PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF IRON OXIDES EMBEDDED IN FULLERITE MATRICES 85.

Nanoparticles of iron oxide embedded in C60 matrices are synthesized by co-evaporation of iron and C60-fullerene, and analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy and MOKE magnetometry. C60 molecules in the neighborhood of the iron oxide nanoclusters transfer charge to the oxide, and the charge deficit fully delocalizes onto the fullerene molecules. The composition of the nanoclusters of iron oxide is similar to both hematite and magnetite, in comparable proportions. One analyzes the amplitude of the pre-edge XANES peak, yielding the average ionization state of absorbing Fe atoms, which is confirmed by the simulations of XANES spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]