Cleaning of magnetic nanoparticle surfaces via cold plasmas treatments

We report surface cleaning of magnetic nanoparticles (SmCo5 nanochips and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles) by using cold plasma. SmCo5 nanochips and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, coated with surfactants (oleic acid and oleylamine, respectively) on their surfaces, were treated in cold plasmas generated in argon, hydrogen or oxygen atmospheres. The plasmas were generated using a capacitively coupled pulsed radio frequency discharge. Surface cleaning of nanoparticles was monitored by measurement of the reduction of surface carbon content as functions of plasma processing parameters and treatment times. EDX and XPS analyses of the nanoparticles, obtained after the plasma treatment, revealed significant reduction of carbon content was achieved via plasma treatment. The SmCo5 nanochips and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles treated in an argon plasma revealed reduction of atomic carbon content by more than 54 and 40 in atomic percentage, compared with the untreated nanoparticles while the morphology, crystal structures and magnetic properties are retained upon the treatments.