Synthesis of hexagonal close-packed nanocrystalline nickel by a thermal reduction process

Hexagonal close-packed nickel has been synthesized through reduction of nickel chloride by KBH4 in ethylenediamine at 300degreesC. X-ray powder diffraction and selected-area electron diffraction showed that the as-prepared samples were nickel with a hexagonal close-packed structure. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the products were nanoclusters, which consist of nickel nanoparticles. The magnetic coercivity of the hcp nanocrystalline nickel is as high as 94.3 Oe. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.