Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe(1−x)Cox alloy nanowires encapsulated inside (10,0) boron nitride nanotube

The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe–Co alloy nanowires encapsulated inside zigzag (10,0) boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) are investigated by ab initio calculations. Similar to pristine nanotube, the opposite directional relaxations for the N atoms (move outwards) and B atoms (move inwards) from their initial positions are observed for outside BNNT although with the Fe–Co alloy nanowires inside, but the outward relaxations of the N atoms bonding to the Fe or Co atoms are smaller due to their attractions. The combining processes of Fe–Co/BNNT composites are endothermic when Co concentration x≤0.6 and exothermic x>0.6, and the most stable Fe–Co/BNNT composite is at Co concentration x=0.8. So the semiconducting (10,0) BNNT can be used to shield the Co-rich Fe–Co nanowires. The charges are transferred from Fe–Co nanowires to BNNT and the formed Co–N bonds have covalent bond as well as slight ionic bond characters. Although (10,0) BNNT is nonmagnetic and a decrease in the magnetic moment is found after Fe–Co nanowires are encapsulated inside (10,0) BNNT, the Fe–Co/BNNT composites still have large magnetic moment, reflecting they can be utilized in magnetic storage and ultra high-density magnetic recording devices.

► Combining processes are endothermic (exothermic) as Co concentration x≤0.6 (x>0.6). ► The most stable Fe–Co/BNNT composite is at Co concentration x=0.8. ► The charges are transferred from Fe–Co nanowires to BNNT. ► The formed Co–N bonds are covalent bond with slightly ionic bond characters. ► The Fe–Co/BNNT composites have large magnetic moment.