Nickel–cobalt alloy nanosheets obtained from reductive hydrothermal-treatment of nickel–cobalt hydroxide carbonate

Nickel–cobalt hydroxide carbonate, a layered material was synthesized by the co-precipitation method using urea as precipitant agent. This anionic layered material with hexagonal structure is constructed from nickel and cobalt ions within the layers and carbonate anions between the layers. Nickel–cobalt alloy with pure cubic phase was obtained by a reductive hydrothermal-treatment of the layered precursor. Powder X-ray diffraction pattern and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of the initial layered material and its metallic alloy product. That is, the nickel–cobalt alloy has really produced via a wet chemical route for the first time. Magnetic measurement revealed that the alloy sample is a soft magnet material.

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► An anionic layered material, nickel–cobalt hydroxide carbonate was synthesized.
► Reductive hydrothermal-treatment of the layered precursor produced an alloy.
► The alloy is a bimetallic nanostructured nickel–cobalt and a soft magnet material.