Structure and magnetic properties of Fe1-xCox nanowires in self-assembled arrays

Fe1-xCox nanowires in self-assembled arrays with varying compositions were produced by the template-assisted pulsed electrochemical deposition method. The structural and magnetic properties of the arrays were investigated using several experimental techniques. TEM analyses indicated that the nanowires were regular, uniform, 8 mu m in length and 50 nm in diameter. The results of X-ray diffraction indicated that the body-centered-cubic (bcc) (alpha), face-centered-cubic (fcc) (gamma), and hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) (epsilon) Fe-Co phases appeared in different compositions. Magnetic measurements showed that the coercivity and squareness of the hysteresis loops of the Fe1-xCox changed with their cornpositions, which may be attributable to shape anisotropy. The room temperature Fe-57 Mossbauer spectra of the arrays of the Fe1-xCox nanowires revealed strong shape anisotropy. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.