Synthesis and high-resolution structural and chemical analysis of iron-manganese-oxide core-shell nanocubes.

We have investigated the structure and chemical composition of nanoparticles synthesized by thermal decomposition of a mixture of iron oleate and manganese oleate in a high-boiling solvent in the presence of Na-oleate and oleic acid as surfactants by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particles appear core-shell like in bright field TEM images. Higher spatial resolution TEM (HRTEM) analysis reveals a FeO/MnO like structure in the core and a spinel like structure in the shell.