Synthesis and characterization of iron-cobalt (FeCo) alloy nanoparticles supported on carbon

Abstract

Iron-cobalt nanocrystalline bimetallic alloys supported on carbon microparticles were synthesized and characterized. The preparation methods involved the use of iron and cobalt chloride or acetate precursor salts in water and direct co-precipitation or wet impregnation techniques. The size of the alloy nanoparticles differed depending on the preparation method. When the wet impregnation technique of acetate precursor salts of Fe and Co was used for the synthesis, the size of FeCo alloy nanoparticles was approximately 13 nm. FeCo alloy nanoparticles were characterized by crystallography (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In all cases, we observed well-dispersed nanometer size alloy particles on the surface of carbon microparticles. FeCo nanoparticles supported on such carbon microparticles are chemically and mechanically stable for prolonged periods of time. AFM analysis showed that the FeCo nanoparticles were formed on the surface of the carrier. The results of this study suggest that using these easy and inexpensive synthetic methods iron-cobalt nanoparticles can be formed on carbon microparticles support materials with applications in catalysis, microelectronics, and biomedicine.