In this work it is experimentally shown that capping ZnO nanoparticles with organic molecules leads to the appearance of magnetism at room temperature.The bonds between the molecules and the Zn atoms at the nanoparticle surface alter its electronic structure (as XANES and photoluminescence spectra demonstrate) arising magnetic moments with values that depend on the nature of the molecule. This result points out the possibility to observe magnetism at nanoscale in semiconductors without typical magnetic atoms (transition metals and rare earths).

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The onset of ferromagnetism has been experimentally observed in small Pd particles of average diameter 2.4 nm. High-resolution studies reveal that a high percentage of the fcc particle exhibits single and multiple twinning boundaries. The spontaneous magnetization close to 0:02 emu=g seems to indicate that only a small fraction of atoms holds a permanent magnetic moment and contributes to ferromagnetism. The possible origin of ferromagnetism is briefly discussed according to different models recently reported.