Gold/Wüstite core-shell nanoparticles: Suppression of iron oxidation through the electron-transfer phenomenon

Plasmonic Au and magnetic Fe are coupled into uniform Au@Fe core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) to confirm that electron transfer occurred from the Au core to the Fe shell. Au NPs synthesized in aqueous medium are used as seeds and coated with an Fe shell. The resulting Au@Fe NPs are characterized by using various analytical techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and superconducting quantum interference device measurements reveal that the Fe shell of the Au@Fe NPs mainly consists of paramagnetic Wüstite with a thin surface oxide layer consisting of maghemite or magnetite. Electron transfer from the Au core to the Fe shell effectively suppresses iron oxidation from Fe ²⁺ to Fe³⁺ near the interface between the Au and the Fe. The charge-transfer-induced electronic modification technique enables us to control the degree of iron oxidation and the resulting magnetic properties. Golden iron: Gold/Wüstite core-shell nanoparticles are synthesized by utilizing the charge-transfer phenomenon that occurs from the gold core to the iron shell. Oxidation of the iron shell is partially suppressed by the electron transfer, and thus, a paramagnetic FeO phase, which is a reduced form of iron oxide, is predominantly formed in the shell.