Synthesis of Co/Co3O4 nanocomposite particles relevant to magnetic field processing.

Co/Co3O4 nanocomposite particles of various morphologies were synthesized by the reverse micelle technique. Equiaxed, rod and faceted crystals with rectangular, pentagonal and hexagonal cross sections were observed. Annealing resulted in the formation of a composite of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) and fcc cobalt (Co). Removal of boron residues from the final product was established by surface characterization. Magnetic moment of these nanocomposite particles is relevant to magnetic field processing.