Self-assembly of nickel: from nanoparticles to foils with tunable magnetic properties

The self-assembly of nickel from nanoparticles to nanowires and foils can be achieved by controlling the concentrations of sodium citrate during the electroless deposition process. The metal nickel possesses tunable coercivity: nanoparticles (75 Oe), nanochains (100 Oe), nanowires (290 Oe), nanowire nonwoven fabrics (280 Oe), and foils (130 Oe), which is related to their morphologies and sizes. This feasible approach shows an effective strategy to fabricate the magnetic material assembly.