Preparation and characterization of ultrafine Co and Ni particles in a polymer matrix

A facile route for in situ synthesis of Co and Ni nanoparticles in a preorganized polyacrylamide gel is reported. Metal-polymer composites were prepared by gamma-irradiation at room temperature. The Co nanoparticles were roughly 3-5 nm in size and were stable in the polymer matrix in the presence of air. The presence of Co and Ni nanoparticles was established by their ability to transfer an electron to methyl viologen {paraquat: 1,1'dimethyl 4,4'-dipyridinium dichloride; MV2+(Cl-)(2)}. The Co and Ni nanoparticles were probed for their magnetic characteristics by a superconducting quantum interferometer device (SQUID) magnetometer and display a low superparamagnetic blocking temperature T-B of about 13 and 10 K, respectively. The field-dependent magnetic behavior below T-B displays the standard features corresponding to superparamagnetism, as expected for very small Co and Ni crystallites. This also suggests that particles are polycrystalline in nature.