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Gram scale synthesis of Fe/FexOy core–shell nanoparticles and their incorporation into matrix-free superparamagnetic nanocomposites

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Abstract

Significant reductions recently seen in the size of wide-bandgap power electronics have not been accompanied by a relative decrease in the size of the corresponding magnetic components. To achieve this, a new generation of materials with high magnetic saturation and permeability are needed. Here, we develop gram-scale syntheses of superparamagnetic Fe/FexOy core–shell nanoparticles and incorporate them as the magnetic component in a strongly magnetic nanocomposite. Nanocomposites are typically formed by the organization of nanoparticles within a polymeric matrix. However, this approach can lead to high organic fractions and phase separation; reducing the performance of the resulting material. Here, we form aminated nanoparticles that are then cross-linked using epoxy chemistry. The result is a magnetic nanoparticle component that is covalently linked and well separated. By using this ‘matrix-free’ approach, we can substantially increase the magnetic nanoparticle fraction, while still maintaining good separation, leading to a superparamagnetic nanocomposite with strong magnetic properties.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Sandia National Laboratories. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185, USA

    John Watt, Grant C. Bleier, Zachary W. Romero, Bradley G. Hance & Dale L. Huber

  2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185, USA

    Jessica A. Bierner & Todd C. Monson

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  1. John Watt
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  2. Grant C. Bleier
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  7. Dale L. Huber
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Correspondence to John Watt.

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Watt, J., Bleier, G.C., Romero, Z.W. et al. Gram scale synthesis of Fe/FexOy core–shell nanoparticles and their incorporation into matrix-free superparamagnetic nanocomposites. Journal of Materials Research 33, 2156–2167 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.139

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