Magnetic-field-induced synthesis of amorphous iron-nickel wire-like nanostructures

Marcin Krajewski , Mateusz Tokarczyk , Tomasz Stefaniuk , Hanna Słomińska , Artur Małolepszy , Grzegorz Kowalski , Sabina Lewińska , Anna Ślawska-Waniewska

Abstract

Manufacturing process of wire-like binary or ternary metal nanoalloys applying the magnetic-field-induced (MFI) synthesis is still a challenging task. Hence, this work demonstrates for the first time how to produce the iron-nickel wire-like nanostructures with Fe0·75Ni0.25, Fe0·5Ni0.5 and Fe0·25Ni0.75 compositions. In a contrary to the previously reported synthesis of the Fe–Ni wire-like nanomaterials, this process has been carried out at room temperature without employment of templates, surfactants, organic solvents, and other chemical additives. The as-prepared samples exhibit specific structures with the amorphous bimetallic alloy cores covered by thin amorphous oxide shells. Moreover, they are composed of nanoparticles which are aligned in nearly linear chains. The Fe–Ni samples are ferromagnetic materials. Their coercivity values and saturation magnetizations depend on chemical compositions and dimensions of the investigated chains. The highest saturation magnetization and the lowest coercivity is found for the material with the lowest content of nickel and vice versa.