Controllable synthesis of NdCo_xO_y nanowire arrays and magnetic behaviour

The amorphous NdCo_xO_y nanowire arrays have been successfully fabricated using anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membrane templates by suction filtration at subatmospheric pressure (SFSP). The morphology and chemical composition of NdCo_xO_y nanowires were characterised by a scanning electron microscope, a transmission electron microscope, selected area electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectra, respectively. The results reveal that there are plenty of NdCo_xO_y nanowires in the nanopores of the AAO template, and the NdCo_xO_y nanowires are all uniform in diameter. The concentration of reactants, the subatmospheric pressure and the co-precipitation time played an important role in the formation of NdCo_xO_y nanowires. The NdCo_xO_y nanowires with different diameters were fabricated with AAO of different nanopore sizes, the luminescence spectrum of NdCo_xO_y nanowires were doped with different Eu³⁺ concentrations and different morphological luminescence intensities of NdCo_xO_y:Eu³⁺ indicate that the method of SFSP is a feasible and controllable approach. The hysteresis loops of the Nd₂O₃, NdCo_xO_y and NdLa_xO_y nanowire arrays were carried out by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM); the magnetic behaviour of rare earth oxide can be modulated by doping the magnetic cobalt (Co) and non-magnetic Lanthanum (La) elements.