3d Metal Doping of Core@Shell Wüstite@ferrite Nanoparticles as a Promising Route toward Room Temperature Exchange Bias Magnets

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 18; no. 16; pp. e2107426 - n/a
• Main Authors: Muzzi, Beatrice, Albino, Martin, Petrecca, Michele, Innocenti, Claudia, Fernández, César de Julián, Bertoni, Giovanni, Marquina, Clara, Ibarra, Manuel Ricardo, Sangregorio, Claudio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Antiferromagnetism; Bias; Coercivity; core‐shell nanoparticles; Crystal structure; Crystallography; Divalent cations; doped‐wüstite; Doping; exchange bias; Exchanging; Ferric Compounds; Ferrites; Ferrous Compounds; Iron oxides; Low temperature; Magnetic properties; Magnetism; Magnets; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanotechnology; Nickel; Néel temperature; Oxidation; Particle Size; Room temperature; Temperature; Transition temperature; Wustite; Néel temperature; doped-wüstite; core-shell nanoparticles; exchange bias
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107426

Nanometric core@shell wüstite@ferrite (Fe1−xO@Fe3O4) has been extensively studied because of the emergence of exchange bias phenomena. Since their actual implementation in modern technologies is hampered by the low temperature at which bias is operating, the critical issue to be solved is to obtain exchange‐coupled antiferromagnetic@ferrimagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with ordering temperature close to 300 K by replacing the divalent iron with other transition‐metal ions. Here, the effect of the combined substitution of Fe(II) with Co(II) and Ni(II) on the crystal structure and magnetic properties is studied. To this aim, a series of 20 nm NPs with a wüstite‐based core and a ferrite shell, with tailored composition, (Co0.3Fe0.7O@Co0.8Fe2.2O4 and Ni0.17Co0.21Fe0.62O@Ni0.4Co0.3Fe2.3O4) is synthetized through a thermal‐decomposition method. An extensive morphological and crystallographic characterization of the obtained NPs shows how a higher stability against the oxidation process in ambient condition is attained when divalent cation doping of the iron oxide lattice with Co(II) and Ni(II) ions is performed. The dual‐doping is revealed to be an efficient way for tuning the magnetic properties of the final system, obtaining Ni‐Co doped iron oxide core@shell NPs with high coercivity (and therefore, high energy product), and increased antiferromagnetic ordering transition temperature, close to room temperature. Magnetic nanoparticles with exchange bias at room temperature, usable in technological devices, are still challenging to obtain. The Co and Ni combined doping of wüstite@magnetite nanoparticles is a valid strategy to surpass this limitation.