Growth of single-crystal magnetite nanowires from Fe3O4 nanoparticles in a surfactant-free hydrothermal process

Single-crystal magnetite nanowires with average diameter of ca. 20 nm and length of up to several micrometers were prepared by a simple alkaline surfactant-free hydrothermal process. The crystallinity, purity, morphology, and structural features of the as-prepared magnetite nanowires were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction. The composition and length of nanowires depends on the pH, with higher pH favoring longer nanowires composed entirely of Fe₃O₄. A mechanism for nanowire growth is proposed.     

Preparation and shape control of multiple-arm magnetic particles

Multiple-arm magnetic CuFe₂O₄ particles have been synthesized via a simple one-step solution-phase route at the presence of ethylene glycol (EG) ligands, which plays a key role for the shape control of the particle. At low EG content, hexa-arm CuFe₂O₄ particles with average arm diameter 50 nm and length 400 nm were obtained. Furthermore, a possible mechanism of shape evaluation process of these magnetic particles is discussed.     

On the magnetic and crystallization behaviour of iron based amorphous alloys determined by nuclei quenched in

The tendency of boron-containing, iron-based glasses to show non monotonic changes of Curie Temperature (T _c ) and room temperature saturation magnetization (SM) was examined by magnetic measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Depending on B/Fe ratio theT _c and SM first increased up to a maximum value and then steadily decreased, probably because of a shortrange ordering, due to the strong chemical interaction between iron and boron atoms, leading iron atoms in vicinity with Fe-atoms rather than another TM-atom. Finally, the phenomenon becomes analogous to the order-disorder phenomenon in crystalline alloys. An observed unusual crystallization behaviour, consisting of heterogeneous nucleation, was also ascribed to this ordering, which leads to the formation of associations, acting as the first nuclei of crystallization.     

Influence of Ge on magnetic and structural properties of Joule-heated Co-based ribbons: Giant magnetoimpedance response

Studies of magnetic and structural properties of Fe_3.5Co_66.5Si_12−xGe_xB₁₈ (x=0, 3, and 6) soft magnetic ribbons obtained by melt-spinning were performed. The samples were submitted to Joule-heating treatments with different maximum current values (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.8 A, respectively) with steps of 0.01 A and times by step of 1, 2, and 10 s). X-ray diffraction, temperature dependence of magnetization (for the as-quenched samples), coercivity and giant magnetoimpedance (GMI), measured at different frequencies (100, 500, and 900 kHz, respectively) were performed. All the samples crystallized at annealing currents higher than 0.4 A, which was consistent with the magnetic hardening of the material. Coercivities less than 1 A/m were obtained for the three samples between 0.1 and 0.2 A. Maximum value of GMI response was observed for the sample without Ge in the as-quenched state.     

Magnetic structure of hematite nanostructured in a porous glass

The magnetic and crystal structures of hematite (α-) in the form of nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 157(2) Å were synthesized within a porous glass and were studied by neutron and X-ray diffraction. The co-existence of two magnetic phases with different directions of magnetic moments, which in the bulk hematite are observed above and below the Morin transition was supposed.     

Preparation of Fe–Si–B–Nb amorphous powder cores with excellent high-frequency magnetic properties

FeSiBNb amorphous powder cores were prepared with the amorphous powder by gas atomization and subsequent hot pressing of resulting powder after creating oxide layers on the amorphous powder. Fully amorphous FeSiBNb powders with good soft magnetic properties were successfully obtained in the particle size range below 100 μm. FeSiBNb amorphous powder cores exhibit stable permeability up to 10 MHz, showing excellent high-frequency characteristics.     

The Raman spectroscopy of neutron transmutation doping isotope Germanium nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 matrix

We have succeeded in doping arsenic (As) impurities into isotope germanium nanocrystals (nc-⁷⁴Ge) uniformly dispersed in a SiO₂ matrix by using the neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method. The samples’ inner structural transmutation is studied by combining Raman scattering, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) methods. The Raman spectrum of the doped sample exhibits a relative intensity increase of the low frequency tail, blue shift of the main Raman peak (∼300 cm⁻¹) and a high frequency tail, while the undoped sample does not. Together with the XRF, XPS and TEM, we believe that the relative intensity increase of the low frequency tail arises from an increase of amorphous ⁷⁴Ge (a-⁷⁴Ge) induced by the irradiation damage. The blue shift of the main Raman peak comes from the mismatch of the crystal lattice which arose from the As impurity introduction. And the high frequency tail is due to transmuted-impurities (As) in the nc-⁷⁴Ge which was introduced by NTD.     

Anhysteretic and biased first magnetization curves for Finemet-type toroidal samples

The anhysteretic and a set of biased first magnetization (BFMC) curves together with a set of first-order reversal curves (FORC) were measured and modeled by the hyperbolic T(x) model for a Finemet-type nanocrystalline toroidal sample with a round hysteresis loop. Similar to the FORC diagram, a “fingerprint”-like distribution has been obtained from a set of BFMC curves using the mixed second-derivate method of Pike. It is concluded that while the FORC diagram gives the distribution of coercive fields (or Preisach distribution), the BFMC diagram gives the distribution of the critical field where the domain wall magnetization become unstable and split up.     

Effect of Zr Addition on Glass-Forming Ability and Magnetic Properties of Fe-Nd-Al-B Alloys Prepared by Suction Casting

The microstructure and magnetic behaviors of the Fe-Nd-Al-B alloys prepared by suction casting with zirconium addition are investigated. With the small amount of zirconium addition, the magnetic properties of the alloys change from hard magnetic property to soft magnetic property. The proper addition of Zr （6%） not only improves the glass forming ability, but also suppresses the crystallization. From the scanning electron microscopy of the [（Fe0.53Nd0.37 Al0.10 ）0.96B0.04]94Zr6 alloy and the local average elemental compositions determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis, the amorphous phase with a composition of Fe47Nd38Al12Zra in the alloy can be observed. The bulk amorphous Fe47Nd38Al12Zr3 alloy is prepared by suction casting exhibiting good glassforming ability and soft magnetic behavior.     

In situ hybridization to chitosan/magnetite nanocomposite induced by the magnetic field

Chitosan/magnetite nanocomposite was synthesized induced by magnetic field via in situ hybridization in ambient condition. Results of XRD patterns and TEM micrographs indicated that magnetite particles with 10–20 nm were dispersed in chitosan homogeneously. An interesting result is that magnetite nanoparticles were assembled to form chain-like structures under the influence of the external magnetic field, which mimics the magnetite chains inside of magnetotatic bacteria. The saturated magnetization (Ms) of nano-magnetite in chitosan was 50.54 emu/g, which is as high as 54% of bulk magnetite. The remanence (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) were 4 emu/g and14.8 Oe, respectively, which indicated that magnetite nanoparticles were superparamagnetic. The key of route is that a pre-precipitated chitosan hydrogel membrane, used as chemical reactor, which controlled the precipitation of chitosan precipitation and in situ transformation of magnetite from the precursor simultaneously in the magnetic field environment.     

Synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles under oxidizing environment and their stabilization in aqueous and non-aqueous media

Synthesis of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles under oxidizing environment by precipitation from aqueous media is not straightforward because Fe²⁺ gets oxidized to Fe³⁺ and thus the ratio of Fe³⁺:Fe²⁺=2:1 is not maintained during the precipitation. A molar ratio of Fe³⁺:Fe²⁺ smaller than 2:1 has been used by many to compensate for the oxidation of Fe²⁺ during the preparation. In this work, we have prepared iron oxide nanoparticles in air environment by the precipitation technique using initial molar ratios Fe³⁺:Fe²⁺?2:1. The phases of the resulting powders have been determined by several techniques. It is found that the particles consist mainly of maghemite with little or no magnetite phase. The particles have been suspended in non-aqueous and aqueous media by coating the particles with a single layer and a bilayer of oleic acid, respectively. The particle sizes, morphology and the magnetic properties of the particles and the ferrofulids prepared from these particles are reported. The average particle sizes obtained from the TEM micrographs are 14, 10 and 9 nm for the water, kerosene and dodecane-based ferrofluids, respectively, indicating a better dispersion in the non-aqueous media. The specific saturation magnetization (σ_s) value of the oleic-acid-coated particles (∼53 emu/g) is found to be lower than that for the uncoated particles (∼63 emu/g). Magnetization σ_s of the dodecane-based ferrofluid is found to be 10.1 emu/g for a volume fraction of particles ?=0.019. Zero coercivity and zero remanance on the magnetization curves indicate that the particles are superparamagnetic (SPM) in nature.     

Synthesis of nano and micro crystals of Cd(OH)2 and CdO in the shape of hexagonal sheets and rods

Cd(OH)₂ and CdO nano/micro crystals were synthesized in ethanol-water medium using cadmium foil as a source under solvothermal condition. The experimental parameters such as ratio of ethanol to water, concentration of NaOH and synthesis temperature all play important role in determining the size, shape and crystalline phase of the products. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Nano/micro crystals of CdO were also achieved by thermal treatment of Cd(OH)₂ crystals in air at different temperatures.     

Induced magnetic anisotropy in Co-doped Finemet-type nanocrystalline materials

Transverse magnetic anisotropy has been induced in the Fe_14.7Co_58.8Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ and Fe_13.8Co₆₅Cu_0.6Nb_2.6Si₉B₉ amorphous ribbons by annealing under an external magnetic field. This anisotropy plays a predominant role, compared to magneto-crystalline and magneto-elastic anisotropies, in forming the magnetic properties and shaping the hysteresis loop. The effect of temperature and time of annealing on the induced magnetic anisotropy and magnetic properties (magnetic permeability, coercivity and power losses) in both alloys was investigated. Under this work, measurements of frequency dependence of the real and imaginary parts of magnetic permeability were made within a frequency range up to 110 MHz. It was found that as a result of magnetic field annealing the Snoek limit increases in both alloys compared to the Co-free Finemet.     

Arresting photodegradation of porous silicon by a polymer coating

Light soaking in air rapidly decreases photoluminescence (PL) of porous silicon (PS) and increases electron spin resonance (ESR) signal. In vacuum, a short light exposure (<2700 s) increases PL and decreases ESR, but longer exposures again degrade the PL. We could arrest the light-induced degradation over long periods by applying a thin polymer coating, which resulted in constant PL and ESR intensities. The PL intensity of coated PS is comparable to the PL intensity of a fresh PS sample in air. FTIR spectrum suggests new bond formations at the PS/polymer interface that may be responsible for PL stability.     

Enhancement of GMI effect in magnetic microwires through the relative temperature dependence of magnetization and anisotropy

We present the study of Giant Magneto Impedance (GMI) effect in magnetic microwires with zero magnetostriction. It is shown that the temperature response of GMI effect can be enhanced by 80% through the relative temperature dependence of magnetization and anisotropy. However, such effect appears only for low amplitudes of exciting current that induces exciting magnetic field below the anisotropy field of the wire. On the other hand, when measuring at high exciting current (when the exciting field exceeds the anisotropy field), the GMI response decreases monotonically with temperature.     

Fabrication of well ordered Zn nanorod arrays by ion irradiation method at room temperature and effect on crystal orientations

Highly oriented and densely packed one-dimensional (1D) polycrystalline Zn nanorods were fabricated on zinc plate without any catalyst at room temperature by bombardment with obliquely incident Ar⁺ ion via ion irradiation method. The sputtered surfaces were fully covered with Zn nanostructures with diameter and the length around 60 nm and 1.3 μm, respectively, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystal orientation of the Zn plate was investigated by electron back scattering pattern method (EBSP). The numerical density and morphology of Zn nanostructures (nanoneedle or nanorods) were found to be 2.1 × 10⁶ to 9 × 10⁶/mm² depending upon the crystal orientation and the atomic density on different crystallographic faces. () faces of Zn polycrystal tended to form more dense nanostructures compared to () faces. This is because of lower atomic density on () faces in comparison with () faces. This indicates that lower atomic density on any crystallographic faces is favorable to form nanostructure of higher density. The outstanding feature of this growth technique is that it provides a new direction for the controllable growth of desired nanostructures of variable density at room temperature without any catalyst. These well-aligned arrays of Zn nanorods/nanoneedle might be a promising material for the future application in nanodevices.     

Controlled synthesis of ZnO nanowires or nanotubes via sol-gel template process

ZnO nanowires and nanotubes have been rationally fabricated within the nanochannels of porous anodic alumina templates by an improved sol-gel template process. X-ray diffraction and selected area electronic diffraction demonstrate that the as-obtained ZnO nanowires and nanotubes can be indexed to hexagonal wurtzite polycrystalline. In this method, zinc nitrate and urea are used as precursors, zinc nitrate serve as zinc ions source, and urea offered a basic medium through its hydrolysis. ZnO nanowires or ZnO nanotubes can be obtained easily by controlling hydrolysis time. The formation mechanism of ZnO nanowires and nanotubes was also discussed.     

Oxidation of a ZnS nanobelt into a ZnO nanotwin belt or double single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts

Single-crystalline wurtzite ZnS nanobelts are synthesized by the vapor phase transport (VPT) process. When oxidized, a single-crystalline ZnS nanobelt turns into a ZnO nanotwin belt containing two twinning parts with a sharp and clear edge, which is a (0001) twinning plane parallel to and running through the length direction. The two twinning parts in a ZnO nanotwin belt have the same crystalline direction, [0001], along their width, and the and crystalline directions along the length direction. On some ZnO nanobelts, nanovoids appear along the twinning planes and when those nanovoids connect with each other, one original ZnS nanobelt can divide into two single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts with quite clear edges.     

Magnetic properties of HITPERM-type alloys at high temperature

(Fe,Co)–Zr,Hf)–Cu–B (HITPERM-type) alloys with variable Hf, Zr and Co content were isothermally crystallised at 500–650 °C for 1 h, and the optimum nanocrystallisation temperature was selected on the basis of the minimum coercive field at room temperature. The quasistatic hysteresis loops were measured at temperature from 20 to 650 °C. Subsequently, the optimally annealed alloys were subjected to long-term annealing at 500, 550 and 600 °C. Working temperature of 600°C is too high for the investigated alloys to maintain stable magnetic properties. Temperature of 550 or 500 °C permits the material to be magnetically stable for a long period. The magnetic hysteresis loops recorded for the nanocrystalline alloys, where Fe:Co ratio is close to 1 and refractory metals content is 7 at.%, prove that coercive field increases slightly with temperature, but remains in the range of 20–40 A/m (depending on the alloy composition) from 20 to 550 °C. This proves that the investigated alloys, after optimisation of chemical composition, may be suitable for high temperature use.     

Synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanomaterials seem to be most attractive because of their fascinating features. Carbon nanotubes emerged recently as unique nanostructures with remarkable mechanical and electronic properties. Future applications will require a fabrication method capable of producing uniform carbon nanotubes with well-defined and controllable reproducibility of their properties. In this review, recent results addressing rational and efficient methods to obtain aligned arrays of these one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials will be discussed. Received: 3 November 2000 / Accepted: 30 May 2001 / Published online: 30 August 2001