Study on nano-metallic nickel synthesized by microwave-assisted polyol method and its magnetic properties

Monodispersed nickel spheres with diameters ranging from 5 to 10 nm and from 100 to 180 nm are fabricated by microwave-assisted (MW) polyol method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the EDAX tests, followed by the TEM and the MFM tests, are implemented for the fabricated samples. The magnetic coupling effect of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic interfaces by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and SQUID is discussed. An f.c.c structure of Ni spheres is observed by XRD. The data of EDAX indicate that Ni spheres are oxidized slightly in synthesis process. SEM and TEM examination shows that the shapes of the samples are ideal spheres. Besides, typical ferromagnetic property is investigated in the VSM studies of the Ni spheres.