Abstract
In this letter, we report a simple method for the preparation of colloidal solutions of nickel nanoparticles through the ultrasonication of thermally evaporated ultrathin films. Atomic force microscopy imaging revealed that the particles had a narrow size distribution centered at 9.6 nm. Self-assembly of particles into nanochains was observed when the particles in the colloidal solution were subjected to a magnetic field during the solvent evaporation process. In the absence of an external magnetic field, randomly distributed individual nanoparticles were observed. The interplay between isotropic van der Waals forces and anisotropic magnetic forces governs the self-assembly process of the nanoparticles. The nanochains form an electrically percolating network on a solid substrate, which is characterized with linear current-voltage characteristics and a conductivity of 7× 10-4 S m-1.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 162511 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-3 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 17 2005 |