Highly stable carbon-coated Fe/SiO2 composites:: Synthesis, structure and magnetic properties

A new method to coat Fe nanoparticles with carbon by pyrolysis of acetylene is reported. The Fe nanoparticles were beforehand coated with silica layers by sol-gel combined hydrogen method. The antioxidation capability of Fe/SiO2 composites has enhanced greatly after coated with amorphous carbon shells. By the introduction of only 7.5 wt.% nonmagnetic silica and carbon, these composites have relatively high specific magnetization of 200.27 emu/g. The insulating amorphous silica and carbon shells prove effective to reduce the eddy current at high frequency. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.