Synthesis and magnetic properties of FePt@MnO nano-heteroparticles

Monodisperse FePt@MnO nano-heteroparticles with different sizes and morphologies were prepared by a seed-mediated nucleation and growth technique. Both size and morphology of the individual domains could be controlled by adjustment of the synthetic parameters. As a consequence, different particle constructs, including dimers, dumbbell-like particles, and flowerlike particles, could be obtained by changing the polarity of the solvent. The FePt@MnO nano-heteroparticles were thoroughly characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Due to a sufficient lattice match, the MnO nanoparticles (NPs) preferentially grow on the (111) surfaces of the fcc-FePt seeds. Furthermore, the surface spins of the antiferromagnetic MnO domains pin the magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic FePt NPs, which leads to an exchanged biased magnetic hysteresis. © 2012 American Chemical Society.