Directed magnetic field induced assembly of high magnetic moment cobalt nanowires

A directed magnetic field induced assembly technique was employed to align two phase (h.c.p. + f.c.c.) cobalt nanoparticles in a mechanically robust long wire morphology. Co nanoparticles with an average size of 4.3 nm and saturation magnetization comparable to bulk cobalt were synthesized by borohydride reduction followed by size selection and magnetic field induced assembly. The coercivity of these nanowires was higher than their nanoparticle counterpart due to shape anisotropy. The experimental coercivity values of the nanowires were lower than the predictions of the coherent rotation, fanning and curling models of coercivity due to the preponderance of superparamagnetic particles with zero coercivity.