Controllable Nd2Fe14B/α-Fe nanocomposites: chemical synthesis and magnetic properties

It is extremely desirable but challenging to develop exchange-coupled magnets with well-dispersed hard/soft phase and confined size to meet the high energy requirements of advanced magnets in modern industry and information technology. Here, we report a novel bottom-up strategy with two-step thermal decomposition and reductive annealing process to synthesize Nd2Fe14B/alpha-Fe nanocomposites, in which effective control of the hard/soft magnetic phase size and proportion was achieved. It is worth noting that the composition, as well as phase distribution, can be readily tuned by changing the ratio between Nd-Fe-B-oxide and alpha-Fe. This work provides an effective approach to adjust the phase size and distribution for exchange-coupled, rare-earth nanomagnets, which can be fundamental for high energy magnets.