Crystallographic Orientation and Microstructure-Dependent Magnetic Behaviors in Arrays of Ni Nanowires

The magnetic behavior of a material is determined by its microstructure, or more precisely, by the configuration of electrons and their interactions with lattices. It has been difficult to control the microstructures of polycrystalline metallic nanowires through electrochemical deposition. Here, we report the synthesis, microstructure, and magnetic properties of nickel (Ni) nanowires from the viewpoints of crystallographic orientation and grain size. Changes in both the Ni precursor and buffer solution result in a remarkable modification of crystallographic orientation and magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy, and consequently, a difference in magnetic susceptibility is observed. In addition, a significant enlargement in grain size with a [220] texture is observed when raising the temperature during electrochemical deposition and subsequently brings a decrease in experimental coercivities.