Wet-chemistry: a Promising Route to Realize Exchange-coupled Magnets: Shape Controlled Synthesis of Soft and Hard Nanomagnetic Materials

Magnets are inevitable from our lives. They are omnipresent in different forms in various appliances. Incessant research works are carried out in magnetic materials by researchers to enhance the performance of magnetic materials. Two systems viz. a soft Fe-Co and hard Sm-Co were selected and a few challenges were addressed in the syntheses and shape modifications which determines the magnetic properties of these materials. The effects of surfactant chemistry in modifying the morphology of Fe-Co nanoparticles from nucleated seeds to spheres, rectangular particles in three difference polyol processes and the reaction dynamics were discussed. Synthesis of Sm-Co nanoparticles through wet-chemical approach is a challenging task due to the mismatch oxidation potential of Sm and Co. The sample was prepared using sol-gel technique and effect of annealing temperature on structure, magnetic properties were described. These results will have significant importance in designing SmCo-FeCo nanocomposite exchange coupled spring coupled hard magnets.