Low temperature synthesis of nickel silica nanocomposites through Sol-gel route

Preparation of nickel (Ni) nanoparticles in the silica gel matrix for various concentrations has been achieved at low temperature. The presence of metallic Ni has been confirmed by x-ray diffraction and further supported by the presence of bright filed transmission electron microscope image, which shows presence of 5 to 8 nm diameter nanoparticles. The dielectric property was studied using complex impedance analysis technique. We have observed a significant enhancement of three orders in magnitude compare to bulk silica in dielectric permittivity of silica gel matrix due to incorporation of metallic Ni. Effect of annealing is also studied.   Key words: Low temperature, nickel silica nanocomposite, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), complex impedance analysis.