Abstract
Within the scope of this work nanoparticles in the system iron-boron have been synthesized
wet-chemically, i.e. following a literature known and modified borohydride reaction, and have
been characterized. Not only the analysis of thermal and magnetic behavior was of special
interest, but also the clarification of the local structure in the pyrophoric, X-ray amorphous,
nano-scaled precipitates. In case of in diethylene glycoldibutylether prepared nanoparticles,
X-ray-absorption spectroscopy exhibits a local structure of beta-FeB, which is limited to the first
and second coordination shells of B- and Fe-atoms, respectively. Furthermore, through
thermal treatment of the precipitates in the absence of air, it has been proven that crystalline
ordering increases with rising temperature. This ordering is up to several hundred Kelvin only
measurable at the atomic length scale. After heating nanoparticles at 1323 K alpha-FeB is present,
which has been measured qualitatively by diffraction. However, for its structure exist several
models in literature. On the other hand short range order, analyzed by X-ray absorption, fits
the well recognized beta-FeB structure. Moreover, thermal retreatment up to e.g. 1773 K leads to
transformation into crystalline beta-form. An explanatory approach for this was established with
the help of simulated diffractograms for alpha-FeB by employing the beta-FeB structure model for
calculation and by varying the crystalline domain sizes within the nanometer range.
Furthermore, it was possible with this approach to simulate the diffractogram of the at 723 K
treated and still nearly amorphous precipitate. The magnetic behavior of nanoparticles
dependent on temperature proved to be ferromagnetic at 5 K and superparamagnetic at 300 K. | English |