A novel strategy to synthesize anisotropic SmCo5 particles from Co/Sm(OH)3 composites with special morphology

In this study, we report a new strategy for preparing magnetically anisotropic SmCo5 single crystal particles by reductive annealing of precursors with specially designed nanostructures. The precursors containing urchin-shaped Co clusters and Sm(OH)(3) nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal process. Then we coated these precursors of Co/Sm(OH)(3) nanocomposites with Ca(OH)(2), and the following thermal reduction generated SmCo5 particles, where the original size and morphology of the precursor were basically preserved after undergoing high temperature annealing. The single crystalline SmCo5 particles exhibit strong magnetic anisotropy and excellent room temperature magnetic properties: remanence of 8.1 kG, coercivity of 25.7 kOe, and a maximum energy product of 15.8 MGOe, which is one of the highest maximum energy products for chemically synthesized nanostructured SmCo5 particles presently reported.