Microwave-assisted synthesis and magnetic study of nanosized Ni/NiO materials

By using a domestic microwave furnace and depending on the nickel precursor used, either tetrahydrated nickel acetate or dihydrated nickel formate, different nanosized materials are obtained: Ni/NiO composites, Ni metal, or NiO. The acetate leads to core-shell composites: Ni on the outside and NiO on the inside, while the formate behaves oppositely, yielding the metal that is progressively oxidized in air, the shell being in this case NiO. All these materials show ferromagnetic behavior.