Calcination of ytterbia aerogels leads to ferromagnetic nanoporous ytterbium oxide networks

Ytterbium oxide wet gels are synthesized with the dual assistant effects of propylene oxide and citric acid and processed to ytterbium oxide aerogels by supercritical drying. The nanoporous cubic Yb 2 O 3 networks with about 10 nm crystallite size is obtained by heat treatment of ytterbium oxide aerogels in air at 600 °C. The band gap and magnetic property of the nanoporous cubic Yb 2 O 3 networks are analyzed based on the band structure and density of states using first-principles calculation.