A facile route to FeS nanowires via an infiltration process

Iron sulfide (FeS) nanowires were synthesized by the reaction between FeCl2⋅4H2O and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in absolute alcohol at 200 ∘C via an infiltration process in anodic aluminum oxide template (AAO). In this process, DMSO served as both strong infiltrator and sulfur source. The samples were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectra. Magnetic hysteresis analysis showed that the as prepared FeS nanowires were ferromagnetic, and the ferromagnetic nanowires turned superparamagnetic when their diameters decreased to about 20 nm. This work demonstrates a very simple method for obtaining FeS nanowires and may open a route to the synthesis of other 1D metallic chalcogenides.