In-depth investigations of size and occupancies in cobalt ferrite nanoparticles by joint Rietveld refinements of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data.

Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) have been used to investigate the crystal structure of CoFeO nanoparticles prepared different hydro-thermal synthesis routes, with particular attention given to accurately determining the spinel inversion degrees. The study is divided into four parts. In the first part, the investigations focus on the influence of using different diffraction pattern combinations (NPD, Cu-source PXRD and Co-source PXRD) for the structural modelling.

Locomotion of micromotors in paper chips.

Locomotion of nano/micromotors in non-aqueous environments remains a challenging task. We assembled magnetic micromotors with different surface coatings and explored their locomotion in paper chips. Poly(L-lysine) deposition resulted in positively charged micromotors.

Elucidating the relationship between nanoparticle morphology, nuclear/magnetic texture and magnetic performance of sintered SrFeO magnets.

Several M-type SrFe12O19 nanoparticle samples with different morphologies have been synthesized by different hydrothermal and sol-gel synthesis methods. Combined Rietveld refinements of neutron and X-ray powder diffraction data with a constrained structural model reveal a clear correlation between crystallite size and long-range magnetic order, which influences the macroscopic magnetic properties of the sample. The tailor-made powder samples were compacted into dense bulk magnets (>90% of the theoretical density) by spark plasma sintering (SPS).

Optimization of magnetic properties in fast consolidated SrFeO nanocrystallites.

The magnetic properties of SrFeO nanocrystallites produced by hydrothermal synthesis and consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) were optimized by varying the compaction parameters: sintering time, sintering temperature, uniaxial pressure or pre-compaction in a magnetic field. Highly textured compacts with a high degree of crystallite alignment were produced. Qualitative and quantitative textural information was obtained based on X-ray diffraction pole figure measurements.

Enhancement of magnetic properties through morphology control of SrFeO nanocrystallites.

Nanocrystallites of the permanent magnetic material SrFeO were synthesised using a conventional sol-gel (CSG) and a modified sol-gel (MSG) synthesis route. In the MSG synthesis, crystallite growth takes place in a solid NaCl matrix, resulting in freestanding nanocrystallites, as opposed to the CSG synthesis, where the produced nanocrystals are strongly intergrown. The resulting nanocrystallites from both methods exhibit similar intrinsic magnetic properties, but significantly different morphology and degree of aggregation.

Variable-temperature structural studies on valence tautomerism in cobalt bis(dioxolene) molecular complexes.

A variable-temperature single-crystal structural study of five valence tautomeric cobalt molecular complexes, Co(3,5-DBSQ)(DBPy) (1), Co(3,5-DBSQ)(DBPy)·1.33CH (1S), Co(3,5-DBSQ)(DCPy)·CH (2S), Co(3,5-DBSQ)(TBPy) (3) and Co(3,5-DBSQ)(TCPy) (4) (S = toluene, 3,5-DBSQ = 3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinonate, DBPy = 3,5-dibromopyridine, DCPy = 3,5-dichloropyridine, TBPy = 3,4,5-tribromopyridine and TCPy = 3,4,5-trichloropyridine) is reported. The re-crystallization of (1S) in toluene at 277 K resulted in a concomitant formation of a solvent-free polymorph, Co(3,5-DBSQ)(DBPy) (1).

Tuning the size and magnetic properties of ZnxCo₁-xFe₂O₄ nanocrystallites.

Magnetically soft zinc-substituted cobalt ferrite ZnxCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.4, 0.5 and 0.

Magnetic properties of ball-milled SrFe12O19 particles consolidated by Spark-Plasma Sintering.

The room-temperature magnetic properties of ball-milled strontium hexaferrite particles consolidated by spark-plasma sintering are strongly influenced by the milling time. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the ball-milled SrFe12O19 particles to have sizes varying over several hundred nanometers. X-Ray powder-diffraction studies performed on the ball-milled particles before sintering clearly demonstrate the occurrence of a pronounced amorphization process.

Alkali metal ion templated transition metal formate framework materials: synthesis, crystal structures, ion migration, and magnetism.

Four transition metal formate coordination polymers with anionic frameworks, namely, Na[Mn(HCOO)3], K[Mn(HCOO)3], Na2[Cu3(HCOO)8], and K2[Cu5(HCOO)12], were synthesized using a mild solution chemistry approach. Multitemperature single-crystal (100-300 K) and powder X-ray diffraction studies of the compounds reveal structures of large diversity ranging from cubic chiral Na-Mn formate to triclinic Na-Cu formate. The structural variety is caused by the nature of the transition metals, the alkali metal ion templation, and the versatility of the formate group, which offers metal-metal coordination through three different O-C-O bridging modes (syn-syn, syn-anti, anti-anti) in addition to metal-metal bridging via a single oxygen atom.