Abstract
Nanocrystalline Fe~53~Co~47~ alloy was synthesized by a single‐step transmetallation chemical method at room temperature. The Fe~53~Co~47~ alloy nanoparticles of 77 and 47 wt% were dispersed in silica matrix by the sol–gel process using tetraethyl orthosilcate. Structural studies reveal that the as‐prepared alloy powders are in bcc phase and silica is in an amorphous state. The phase‐transition temperature and Mössbauer spectra analysis of the Fe–Co alloy establishes the homogeneous alloy formation. A saturation magnetization of 218 emu/g was obtained for pure FeCo alloy at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrates the hollow‐sphere morphology for FeCo alloy particles. Magnetic nanocomposite consisting of 47 wt% FeCo–silica shows enhanced thermal stability over the native FeCo alloy. Electrical and dielectric properties of 47 wt% FeCo–silica nanocomposites were investigated as a function of frequency and temperature. It was found that the dielectric constants and dielectric loss were stable throughout the measured temperature (310–373 K). Our results indicate that FeCo–silica nanocomposite is a promising candidate for high‐frequency applications.