Structure and magnetic properties of nanoparticles trapped in a carbon matrix along with the catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes

The combination of magnetic materials and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a promising research direction with a wide range of applications such as magnetic storage and drug delivery free of toxicity. It is well known that some transition metals are mandatory for the nucleation and growth of CNTs by pyrolysis. This paper deals with a new approach where Fe–C nanostructures are developed in a carbon matrix with a random network of CNTs by the polymers pyrolysis (phenol-formaldehyde resins and polyvinyl alcohol) and ferrocene up to 900 °C in inert atmosphere. The proposed method is simple and could be a promising way to produce magnetic nanoparticles coated with carbon as well as CNTs. The characterization (TEM, Mössbauer spectroscopy) and magnetic properties of the carbon–iron system are systematically investigated.