Fabrication of multifunctional ferromagnetic Au3Pd–CoSe nanoparticles†
Abstract
We have synthesized multifunctional anisotropic Au3Pd–CoSe nanoparticles on Si substrate through a catalyst aided chemical vapour deposition technique. The technique utilized volatile cobalt acetylacetonate and elemental selenium as precursors while sputter coated Au–Pd (3 : 2) film acted as a catalyst. The typical growth conditions led to clear segregation of the hetero-compositions (i.e. Au3Pd and CoSe) in the product nanostructures thereby preserving the functionality of both the phases. The degree of crystallinity of the individual phases in the composite nanostructure was fairly high. The bifunctional nanoparticles show soft ferromagnetic behaviour at room temperature and optical activity making them ideal for opto-magnetic applications.