Synthesis of mono-dispersed Fe-Co nanoparticles with precise composition control

Monodispersed Fe-Co nanoparticles are synthesized by reducing FeCl2 and CoCl2 in diphenyl ether, with n-butyllithium as reducing agent and oleic acid as surfactant. The body centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure of Fe-Co nanoparticles is confirmed by both XRD patterns and TEM diffraction patterns. The average nanoparticle size is 10 nm at the reported experimental condition. The magnetization of the Fe-Co increases with increased cobalt atomic percentage. XPS technique is used to investigate the surface chemical states of Fe-Co nanoparticles. Finally, the composition of Fe-Co nanoparticles is investigated through EDX, confirming the molar ratio of Fe/Co in nanoparticles could be accurately controlled by changing the composition of the precursors.