LAUSR

Abstract GdVO4 nanowires have been fabricated by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method with the addition of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) during synthesis. The GdVO4 nanowires have a lower antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering temperature ( T N ) and effective magnetic moment μ e f f than them of bulk GdVO4. In a field-cooled mode, upward magnetization was found below T N in the magnetization-temperature measurements because of surface effects, where uncompensated surface spins were not ordered as AFM states. With a magnetic field change of 5 T, the maximum value of magnetic entropy change ( − Δ S M max ) is 35.77 J kg−1 K−1 at 2.3 K and the relative cooling power is 211.04 J kg−1 with no hysteresis loss. The nanocrystalline GdVO4 nanowires produce a significant reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) and can be applied to hydrogen liquefaction as a cryogenic MCE material.