Nanowires of NiCo/barium ferrite magnetic composite by electrodeposition

Electrodeposition has been demonstrated to be useful in preparing well defined composite nanowires and as a way to modify their magnetic properties. A sulphamate bath containing barium ferrite nanoparticles has been used to test nanoparticle incorporation during an alloy (NiCo) electrodeposition process. The nanoparticles enter the membrane pores during the electrodeposition, being uniformly distributed into them. Home-made alumina membranes prepared in the laboratory were used as an electrodeposition template. Composite 10–15 μm length nanowires containing 7 wt.% of ferrite with a good particle distribution were obtained. The formation of composite nanowires has been demonstrated both by TEM observation and by magnetic properties analysis. The feasibility of incorporating magnetic nanoparticles to metallic nanowires in order to modify their magnetic properties has thus been confirmed