Evolution of superparamagnetism in the electrochemical dealloying process

In situ superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry provides insights into the electrochemical dealloying mechanism of a CoPd alloy. Charge-dependent measurements of magnetic moment allow the separation of primary and secondary dealloying contributions. Coercivity evolution revealed the transition from collective ferromagnetism to superparamagnetism of small alloy clusters evolving in the dealloying process, which is interpreted as an “inverse” magnetic percolation problem. Temperature-dependent magnetization curves enable a qualitative comparison of magnetic cluster size distributions in the nanoporous Pd framework, which are found to be strongly influenced by dealloying potential. The study underlines the potential of electrochemical dealloying as a promising method for the preparation of tailor-made magnetic nanostructures.