Self-Organization of Magnetic Nanosized Cobalt Particles

Abstract

The spontaneous arrangement of magnetic cobalt nanoparticles into two-dimensional superlattices is reported. The production of the particles using reverse micelles as a microreactor and their extraction to form an hexagonal network are described. The magnetic properties of isolated and organized particles are compared, revealing the collective magnetic properties that arise from the organization of the particles. An extension of this work could be of use in understanding the development of ferromagnetism in materials.