Magnetic field-assisted nanochain formation of intermixed catalytic Co–Pd nanoparticles

Engineering on the nanoscale often involves optimizing performance by designing and creating new types of nanostructured materials. Multifunctional nanoparticles can be formed by combining elements that carry fundamentally different properties. The elements can be chosen based on the desired functionality, and by combining, <i>e.g.</i>, magnetic, and catalytic elements, it is possible to self-assemble nanoparticles into catalytically active magnetic nanochains. However, mixing and assembling nanoparticles in a controlled way is challenging, and it is not obvious how the intermixing of the elements influences the properties of the individual nanoparticles. In this work, we synthesize and assemble intermixed magnetic and catalytic Cobalt-Palladium (Co-Pd) nanoparticles into multifunctional nanochains. The magnetic behavior is explored by studying the magnetic field-directed self-assembly of the nanoparticles into elongated nanochains. The catalytic properties are determined by measuring CO oxidation at elevated temperatures. Our results confirm that the magnetic and catalytic functionalities of the individual elements are retained when intermixed, which implies the potential to create nanochains with dual functionality that can be assembled in a controlled way.