Arrays of magnetic nanoparticles capped with alkylamines

Magnetic metal and metal oxide nanoparticles capped with alkylamines have been synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and magnetization measurements. Core-shell Pd-Ni particles with composition, Pd₅₆₁Ni₃₀₀₀, (diameter ∼3.3 nm) are superparamagnetic at 5 K and organize themselves into two-dimensional crystalline arrays. Similar arrays are obtained with Pd₅₆₁Ni₃₀₀₀Pd₁₅₀₀ nanoparticles containing an additional Pd shell. Magnetic spinel particles of γ-Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄ and CoFe₂O₄ of average diameters in the 4–6 nm range coated with octylamine are all supermagnetic at room temperature and yield close-packed disordered arrays. Relatively regular arrays are formed by dodecylaminecapped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (∼8.6 nm diameter) while well-ordered hexagonal arrays were obtained with octylamine-covered Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (∼4.2 nm diameter).