Swift heavy-ion irradiation-induced shape and structural transformation in cobalt nanoparticles

The shape and structural evolution of Co nanoparticles embedded in SiO2 and subjected to swift heavy-ion irradiation have been investigated over a wide energy and fluence range. Modifications of the nanoparticle size and shape were characterized with transmission electron microscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering. Nanoparticles below a threshold diameter remained spherical in shape and progressively decreased in size under irradiation due to dissolution. Nanoparticles above the threshold diameter transformed into nanorods with their major dimension parallel to the incident ion direction. Modifications of the atomic-scale structure of the Co nanoparticles were identified with x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Analysis of the x-ray absorption near-edge spectra showed that prior to irradiation all Co atoms were in a metallic state, while after irradiation Co atoms were in both oxidized and metallic environments, the former consistent with dissolution. The evolution of the nanoparticle short-range order was determined from extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Structural changes in the Co nanoparticles as a function of ion fluence included an increase in disorder and asymmetric deviation from a Gaussian interatomic distance distribution coupled with a decrease in bondlength. Such changes resulted from the irradiation-induced decrease in nanoparticle size and subsequent dissolution. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3587171]