Magnetic anisotropy refers to the directional dependence of a material’s magnetic properties. In nanoparticles, the shape and crystal structure can induce anisotropy, which in turn affects coercivity. Higher anisotropy means greater coercivity since more energy is required to reorient the magnetization. Tailoring the shape and structure of nanoparticles can thus be a strategy to engineer their coercivity for specific applications.
