Preparation and characterization of monodisperse Fe nanoparticles

Fe nanoparticles prepared by iron carbonyl decomposition using different methods are compared structurally, chemically, and magnetically. The specific magnetization of the particles was determined from the magnetic moment, the particle size observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the total iron concentration found from calibrated X-ray fluorescence. The volume fraction of oxide is reported for particles of different sizes and for particles made by slightly different techniques.