The controllable magnetic properties of Nico/C nanocomposites

Abstract

The NiCo/C metal-carbon nanocomposites based on the NiCl2/CoCl2/Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursors were synthesized using IR heating. The results of studies of NiCo/C nanocomposites by X-ray phase analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and vibration magnetometry showed the dependence of the structure and properties of NiCo/C nanocomposites on the synthesis temperature, concentration, and metal ratio in the precursor. According to the results of the X-ray phase analysis, it was found that during the IR pyrolysis of the precursor, NiCo metal nanoparticles are stabilized in the carbon matrix, an increase in the synthesis temperature from 350 to 800 °C leads to an increase in the average size of nio nanoparticles from 10 to 80 nm, it is established that the formation of the alloy occurs due to the gradual dissolution of cobalt in nickel with the simultaneous transition of cobalt from the hcp modification to FCC. The structure of nanocomposites was shown by transmission electron microscopy of samples synthesized at 600 °C. It was found that with an increase in the metal concentration in the precursor from 10 to 40 wt.%, the average size of NiCo nanoparticles increases and the concentration of nanoparticles in the carbon matrix increases. The study of the magnetic properties of nanocomposites showed that with an increase in the content of metals in the precursor from 10 to 40 wt.%, an almost linear increase in the saturation magnetization from 5.94 to 25.7 A · m2/kg is observed. A change in the ratio of metals from Ni : Co = 4 : 1 to Ni : Co = 1 : 4 causes an increase in magnetization from 11.46 to 23.3 A · m2/kg.