Phase stability, EXAFS investigation and correlation between nanostructure and extrinsic magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Pr2(Co,Fe)7

•The Pr2 (Co,Fe)7 compounds have been synthesized by high energy ball milling.•Rietveld analysis shows that the Pr2 Co7–xFex compounds are single phase for x ≤ 1.•The refinement of EXFAS spectra for x ≤ 1 shows that Fe atoms preferably occupy the 12 k site.•We have showed a decrease in anisotropy and coercivity for x > 1.

Nanocrystalline Pr2 Co7−x Fex (x⩽3.5x⩽3.5) powder was synthesized by high energy milling and was subsequently annealed at 973 K for 30 min. Their crystalline structures were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Magnetic properties were also studied at room temperature and 10 K as a function of the iron composition.This compounds structure depends on the iron content; for x⩽x⩽ 1 they crystallize in the Ce2 Ni7-type hexagonal structure (space group: P63/mmcP63/mmc). For 1  1, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy field of the 2:17 phase is lower than that of the 2:7 phase, which causes a further reduction in anisotropy and coercivity.