title: Controllably Manipulating Three-Dimensional Hybrid Nanostructures for Bulk Nanocomposites with Large Energy Products.
abstract: Hybrid nanostructures that comprise two or more nanoscale functional components are fascinating for applications in electronics, energy conversion devices, and biotechnologies. Their performances are strongly dependent on the characteristics of the individual components including the size, morphology, orientation, and distribution. However, it remains challenging to simultaneously control these structural properties in a three-dimensional (3D) hybrid nanostructure. Here, we introduce a robust strategy for concurrently manipulating these characteristics in a bulk SmCo/Fe(Co) nanocomposite. This method can tune nanocrystals in size (down to sub-10 nm), morphology (sphere, rod, or disc), and crystallographic orientation (isotropic or anisotropic). We have therefore achieved the desired nanostructures: oriented hard magnetic SmCo grains and homogeneously distributed soft magnetic Fe(Co) grains with high fractions (∼26 wt %) and small sizes (∼12.5 nm). The resulting anisotropic nanocomposite exhibits an energy product that is approximately 50% greater than that of its corresponding pure SmCo magnet and 35% higher than the reported largest value in isotropic SmCo/Fe(Co) systems. Our findings pave a new way to manipulating 3D hybrid nanostructures in a controllable manner.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Wenpeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guangwei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yingxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
authors.forename: Hai-Tian
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1122-8647
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Bin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9846-5452
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Xiangyi
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2036-3987
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: Nanostructuring; bulk nanomaterials; heterostructures; hybrid nanostructures; nanocomposite magnets