Sonochemical synthesis of amorphous iron

AMORPHOUS metallic alloys ('metallic glasses') lack long-range crystalline order and have unique electronic, magnetic and corrosion-resistant properties^1-3. Their applications include use in power-transformer cores, magnetic storage media, cryothermometry and corrosion-resistant coatings. The production of metallic glasses is made difficult, however, by the extremely rapid cooling from the melt that is necessary to prevent crystallization. Cooling rates of about 10⁵ to 10⁷ K s^-1 are generally required; for comparison, plunging red-hot steel into water produces cooling rates of only about 2,500 K s^-1. Metallic glasses can be formed by splattering molten metal on a cold surface using techniques such as gun, roller or splat quenching^4,5. Acoustic cavitation is known to induce extreme local heating in otherwise cold liquids, and to provide very rapid cooling rates^6-11. Here we describe the synthesis of metallic-glass powders using the microscopically extreme (yet macroscopically mild) conditions induced by high-intensity ultrasound. The sonolysis of iron pentacarbonyl, a volatile organometallic compound, produces nearly pure amorphous iron. This amorphous iron powder is a highly active catalyst for the Fischer-Tropsch hydrogenation of carbon monoxide and for hydrogenolysis and dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons.