Abstract. Monodisperse Fe–Pt nanoparticles have been prepared by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl [Fe(CO)₅] and reduction of platinum acetylacetonate [Pt(acac)₂] with dibenzyl ether in the presence of oleic acid and oleyl amine. The particle composition was adjusted by changing the Fe(CO)₅/Pt(acac)₂ molar ratio while fixing the Pt(acac)₂ amount. The size of FePt nanoparticles was tuned by controlling the injection temperature of the iron precursor. The low injection temperature of precursors and the usage of surfactants as a reaction solvent, together with a slow heating to a low refluxing temperature, were found to be the key parameters for the formation of cubic nanoparticles. Nanorods were formed by simply adjusting the injection time of the surfactants. The as-made nanoparticles had a low coercivity, which was increased to 7 kOe when annealed at 800 °C for 1 h.

Print publication: Issue 48 (2 December 2009)
Received 11 September 2009, in final form 7 October 2009
Published 30 October 2009