Nanosize cobalt boride particles: Control of the size and properties

Abstract

Cobalt boride is obtained by the reduction of cobalt (2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate, Co(AOT) 2, by sodium borohydride either in reverse micelles or in a diphasic system. In Co(AOT) 2/Na(AOT)/H 2O reverse micellar solution, the size and polydispersity of the Co 2B particles is controlled by the size of the water droplets, which increases from 4 to 7.5 nm by increasing the water content. In a diphasic system of Co(AOT) 2/isooctane and sodium borohydride in aqueous solution, large and polydisperse particles of cobalt boride are formed (∼ 10 nm), and their magnetization properties are presented. The smallest particles are in a superparamagnetic regime at room temperature, whereas the largest particles show ferromagnetic behavior.