Nanoscale analysis of magnetic chains consisting of cobalt mesospheres by full-field transmission x-ray tomography

Full-field transmission x-ray tomography can obtain 3D morphology and configurations of nanoscale materials. In this study, we further demonstrate the feasibility of this technique using magnetic chains consisting of cobalt mesospheres. The preliminary images presented in this article clearly reveal that three types of cobalt nanoparticles, namely, hollow, core-shell, and solid were found for magnetic chain synthesis. Furthermore, the tomographic analyses revealed the growth mechanism of magnetic chains self-assembled by cobalt nanoparticles. We may claim that the spatial resolution and contrast characteristics of the full-field transmission x-ray tomography can satisfy the research requirements of nanomaterial science. Hence, transmission x-ray tomography could be a powerful complementary method for imaging and analysis of nanoscale materials.