Facile Synthesis, Structural and Magnetic Properties of Hierarchical Tree-Leaf Like FeCo Alloy Microstructures

Tree like FeCo alloy microstructures with stem, branches, and leaves are prepared by template free hydrothermal method at relatively low temperature using high concentration of NaOH. Prepared FeCo microstructures have bcc crystal and equiatomic composition. The crystallite size of 18.5 nm and micro-strains of value 0.00285 were estimated by Williamson-Hall analysis. The tree like FeCo alloy structures have size about 4 μm and leaves have width less than 300 nm. The growth mechanism of tree-leaf like microstructures is proposed. Prepared FeCo microstructures possess comparatively, high saturation magnetization (214 emu/g), low coercivity (45 Oe), and low remnant magnetization (4.3 emu/g). The tree-leaf like FeCo microstructures have potential applications in the fields of biomedicine and catalytic process.