Massive transformation in FeNi nanopowders with nanotwin-assisted nitridation.

L10-ordered FeNi alloy (tetrataenite), a promising candidate for rare-earth-free and low-cost permanent magnet applications, is attracting increasing attention from academic and industrial communities. Highly ordered single-phase L10-FeNi is difficult to synthesis efficiently because of its low chemical order-disorder transition temperature (200-320 °C). A non-equilibrium synthetic route utilizing a nitrogen topotactic reaction has been considered a valid approach, although the phase transformation mechanism is currently unknown. Herein, we investigated the basis of this reaction, namely the formation mechanism of the tetragonal FeNiN precursor phase during the nitridation of FeNi nanopowders. Detailed microstructure analysis revealed that the FeNiN precursor phase could preferentially nucleate at the nanotwinned region during nitridation and subsequently grow following a massive transformation, with high-index irrational orientation relationships and ledgewise growth motion detected at the migrating phase interface. This is the first report of a massive phase transformation detected in an Fe-Ni-N system and provides new insights into the phase transformation during the nitriding process. This work is expected to promote the synthetic optimization of fully ordered FeNi alloys for various magnetic applications.

Synthesis of single-phase L10-FeNi magnet powder by nitrogen insertion and topotactic extraction.

Tetrataenite (L10-FeNi) is a promising candidate for use as a permanent magnet free of rare-earth elements because of its favorable properties. In this study, single-phase L10-FeNi powder with a high degree of order was synthesized through a new method, nitrogen insertion and topotactic extraction (NITE). In the method, FeNiN, which has the same ordered arrangement as L10-FeNi, is formed by nitriding A1-FeNi powder with ammonia gas. Subsequently, FeNiN is denitrided by topotactic reaction to derive single-phase L10-FeNi with an order parameter of 0.71. The transformation of disordered-phase FeNi into the L10 phase increased the coercive force from 14.5 kA/m to 142 kA/m. The proposed method not only significantly accelerates the development of magnets using L10-FeNi but also offers a new synthesis route to obtain ordered alloys in non-equilibrium states.

Magnetic ordered states induced by interparticle magnetostatic interaction in α-Fe/Au mixed nanoparticle assembly.

The magnetic behavior of α-Fe/Au nanoparticle (NP) assemblies is studied over a very wide range of dipolar interactions among α-Fe NPs, by changing the volume density of the α-Fe NP. The assembly whose α-Fe NP density is lower than 0.1% exhibits typical superparamagnetic behavior. When Fe NP density exceeds 8.6% the magnetic dynamics changes to that resembling superspin glass. Moreover, NP assembly with highest Fe concentration (43%), whose dipolar interaction is enormously strong compared with previous studies, exhibits a two-stage magnetic transition, i.e., ferromagnetic and spin glass-like transitions at 385 K and around 150 K, respectively. Therefore, we first observed the reentrant spin glass-like magnetism at the limit of strong interaction in a close-packed NP assembly. Based on these observations, the magnetic phase diagram of the interacting α-Fe NP assembly is determined over a very wide range of interaction.

Facile synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by reduction phase transformation from gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles in organic solvent.

A phase transformation induced by the reduction of as-synthesized gamma-maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) nanoparticles was performed in solution by exploiting the reservoir of reduction gas (CO) generated from the incomplete combustion reaction of organic substances in the reactor. Results from X-ray diffraction, color indicator, and magnetic analysis using a SQUID strongly support this phase transformation. Based on this route, monodisperse magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles were simply produced in the range from 260 to 300 degrees C. Almost all aspects of the original gamma-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles, such as shape, size, and monodispersity, were maintained in the produced Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles.

Size control and characterization of wustite (core)/spinel (shell) nanocubes obtained by decomposition of iron oleate complex.

Monodisperse wustite (core)/spinel (shell) nanocubes with controllable size from 9 to 22 nm were synthesized by the decomposition of iron oleate complex at high temperature. The composition of the nanocubes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and magnetic analysis, meanwhile the distributions of wustite and spinel phases within the nanocubes were directly observed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy using the dark-field image technique. The core/shell structure is quite unique, in which spinel phase is distributed not only preferentially on the surface, but also in the interior, while almost all of the wustite phase is located in the core of the nanocubes. The formation of wustite is inherent in the decomposition of the iron oleate complex, as indirectly inferred through the detection of a huge quantity of carbon monoxide generated from the reactor.