Applied magnetic field rejects the coating of ferromagnetic carbon from the surface of ferromagnetic cobalt: RAPET of CoZr2(acaC)(2)((OPr)-Pr-i)(8)

We present the results of the RAPET (reaction under autogenic pressure at elevated temperatures) dissociation of CoZr2(acac)2(OiPr)8 at 700 °C in a closed Swagelok cell under an applied magnetic field of 10 T. It produces a mixture of carbon-coated and noncoated metastable ZrO2 nanoparticles, bare metallic Co nanoparticles, and bare carbon. The same reaction in the absence of a magnetic field produces spherical Co and ZrO2 particles in sizes ranging from 11 to 16 nm and exhibiting, at room temperature, metastable phases: fcc for cobalt and a tetragonal phase for zirconia. The metastable phases of Co and ZrO2 are manifested because of a carbon shell of ??4 nm thickness anchored to their surfaces. The effect of an applied magnetic field to synthesize morphologically different, but structurally the same, products is the key topic of the present paper