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Superparamagnetic Polymer Nanocomposites with Uniform Fe 3 O 4 Nanoparticle Dispersions
Author(s) -
Gass J.,
Poddar P.,
Almand J.,
Srinath S.,
Srikanth H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200500335
Subject(s) - materials science , superparamagnetism , nanoparticle , nanocomposite , polymer , polymer nanocomposite , polypyrrole , chemical engineering , magnetic nanoparticles , dispersion (optics) , nanotechnology , composite material , magnetization , optics , physics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field , engineering , polymerization
Magnetic nanoparticles embedded in polymer matrices are good examples of functional nanostructures with excellent potential for applications such as electromagnetic interference shielding, magneto‐optical storage, biomedical sensing, flexible electronics, etc. Control over the dispersion of the nanoparticle phase embedded in a polymer matrix is critical and often challenging. To achieve excellent dispersion, competition between polymer–polymer and polymer–particle interactions have to be balanced to avoid clustering of particles in polymer nanocomposites. We report the first deposition of magnetic nanocomposite poly(methyl methacrylate)/polypyrrole bilayers from solution using spin‐coating. Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles have been synthesized using a chemical co‐precipitation route. Using a combination of dissolving the polymer and mixing fatty acid surfactant coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, we have demonstrated the formation of nanocomposites with uniform nanoparticle dispersion. Cross‐sectional scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements confirm the excellent dispersion and superparamagnetic response. Low‐frequency impedance measurements on these bilayers are also presented and analyzed.