Rod-shaped assemblies of FePt-PtTe₂ through dynamic templating

The synthesis of rod-shaped assemblies of FePt-PtTe₂ composites through co-precipitation of the two inorganic phases using a simple polyol process in the presence of sucrose and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), has been demonstrated. The formation of plate-shaped PtTe₂ crystals offers the framework for the nanorod assembly through heterogeneous nucleation of FePt on the PtTe₂ surfaces and inter-plate ligation through sucrose binding. The FePt-PtTe₂ nanorod assemblies exhibit high coercivity upon annealing and can be rendered thermally stable and amenable to biofunctionalization by coating a thin silica shell, making the assemblies useful for magnetically-stimulated cell manipulation. Such a synthesis approach can be adapted to encourage new applications in other multi-component/phase systems where shape control can be otherwise difficult.