Preparation and characterization of monodisperse FePd nanoparticles

Monodisperse FePd nanoparticles were prepared by polyol reduction of palladium acetylacetonate and thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl, using a combination of n-adamantanecarboxylic acid and tri-alkylphosphine as stabilizers. The mean particle size can be tuned from 11 to 16 nm by controlling the concentration and type of stabilizers and reaction conditions. High monodispersity of FePd nanoparticles leads to the formation of two-dimensional (2D) superlattices consisting of hexagonal close-packed particles, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction pattern and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) images. This route provides a promising candidate for studying the magnetic properties of nanosized FePd materials.