Annealing Behaviour of Fe-C-N Nanopowder: Formation of Iron/Graphite Core-Shell Structured Nanoparticles

Abstract

We are reporting the core-shell structured iron/graphite nanoparticles formed by annealing of a nanopowder. The original Fe-C-N based nanopowder has been synthesized by the laser pyrolysis of gas phase reactants. TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements were used for its characterization. Nanopowder was heated up to 800°C at ~ 1 Pa vacuum. Presence of iron nanoparticles with the mean diameter of 40 nm in the annealed state of the nanopowder was confirmed from the width of α-Fe X-ray diffraction lines and their core-shell structure was observed under TEM.