Preparation of cobalt nanoparticles from [bis(salicylidene)cobalt(II)]-oleylamine complex by thermal decomposition

[Bis(salicylidene)cobalt(II)] was used as a precursor to prepare cobalt nanoparticles of average diameter 25-35nm by thermal decomposition. The different combinations of triphenylphosphine and oleylamine were added as surfactants to control the particle size. The resultant samples are characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) to depict the phase and morphology. The hysteresis loops of the obtained samples reveal the soft magnet behaviors the enhanced coercivity (H-c) and decreased saturation magnetization (M-s) in contrast to their respective bulk materials. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.