Magnetic and structural characteristics of HoBa2Cu3O7−x nanorods synthesized in the presence of an appropriate surfactant

Continuous HoBa2Cu3O7−x (Ho123) nanorods, 40–80 nm in diameter, have been fabricated by easy, cheap and well-known sol–gel method using benzene tricarboxylic acid as a chelating agent. The onset critical temperature of the nanorods (about 91.5 K) was surprisingly comparable to that of the bulk materials. TEM image revealed that the nanorods consist of homogenous elliptical-shaped nanoparticles. The size and shape of the grains was found to be controllable by changing the amount of the surfactant. Complete decomposition of BaCO3 and subsequent formation of the pure Ho123 phase occurred after re-calcination process at 900 °C. No special effect was observed on the magnetic susceptibility behavior of the nanoparticles when changing the strength of the applied magnetic field. Prepared samples were also characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).