Synthesis and magnetic properties of CoPt-poly(methylmethacrylate) nanostructured composite material

We have prepared nanometer-sized CoPt particles dispersed in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix, as a novel nanostructured magnetic plastic, through a soft chemical processing route. In this work, CoPt nanoparticles were successfully synthesized from a solution phase reduction system in the presence of capping ligands and stabilizing agents at high temperature. The CoPt nanoparticles were annealed at 400 degreesC for 3 h, and were subsequently re-dispersed in methylmethacrylate (monomer). The polymerization was induced by a UV source and the hardness of final product was adjusted by varying the amount of monomeric cross-link agent. Annealed bare CoPt nanoparticles as a "core" material and CoPt-PMMA composite material were characterized by using energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction, indicating that we are able to prepare CoPt nanoparticles with <10 nm in diameter (after annealing) by employing this high temperature colloidal processing method. Magnetic investigation of this CoPt-PMMA material indicates an intrinsic coercivity of 300 Oe at 300 K and 1665 Oe at 5 K. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.