Effects of shell thickness on blocking temperature of nanocomposites of metal particles with gold shells

Nanoscale iron particles were synthesized in reverse micelles created from aqueous reactants, octane, n-butanol, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB). Using reverse micelles as nano-reactors allows for the sequential synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized and coated with gold. A series of particles with varying gold shell thickness were synthesized to investigate the effect of shell thickness on the magnetic properties of the iron core. Particle sizes were confirmed using XRD and particle uniformity was determined by TEM. Magnetic measurement carried out using a SQUID Susceptometer indicated superparamagnetic behavior.