Superparamagnetic bimetallic iron–palladium nanoalloy: synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Iron–palladium nanoalloy in the particle size range of 15–30 nm is synthesized by the relatively low temperature thermal decomposition of coprecipitated [Fe(Bipy)3]Cl2 and [Pd(Bipy)3]Cl2 in an inert ambient of dry argon gas. The silvery black Fe–Pd alloy nanoparticles are air-stable and have been characterized by EDX-RF, XRD, AFM, TEM, magnetometry, 57Fe Mössbauer and impedance spectroscopy. This Fe–Pd nanoalloy is in single phase and contains iron sites having up to 11 nearest-neighboring atoms. It is superparamagnetic in nature with high magnetic susceptibility, low coercivity and hyperfine field.