2013-001 – Iron Nitrogen Nanocrystals

Background Studies have shown that iron nitride in the form of a thin films has a high magnetic moment. However, iron nitride is difficult to use as a bulk permanent magnetic material due to its low intrinsic coercivity. In order to increase intrinsic coercivity, incorporation of nitrogen or hydrogen with rare earth iron alloys has been attempted; however, sufficient permanent magnetic materials have not been obtained. Iron nitrogen compounds have been found to have exceptionally high magnetic moments in the bulk. Nanoscale iron-nitrogen particles will likely have properties significantly different than the bulk. Iron nitrogen nanocrystals promise to have high magnetic moments. Such particles have not been synthesized previously. These nanoparticles can find application in magnetic memory devices, medical hyperthermia, magnetic drug carriers, etc. Thus, there is a present market value to the synthesis of iron nitrogen nanocrystals. Technology Description A University of New Mexico researcher has developed a method to synthesize Fe16N2 nanoparticles through process of reduction and amination in order to produce iron nitrogen nanocrystals with high magnetic moments. Gregg Banninger GBanninger@innovations.unm.edu 505-272-7908