Preparation and Properties of Magnetite and Polymer Magnetite Nanoparticles

A novel approach to prepare magnetic polymeric nanoparticles by synthesis of the magnetite core and polymeric shell in a single inverse microemulsion is reported. Stable magnetic nanoparticles colloid dispersion with narrow size distribution can thus be produced. The microemulsion seed copolymerization of methacrylic acid, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and cross-linker results in a stable hydrophilic polymeric shell of the nanoparticles. The preparation of the nanoparticles was carried out also by the two-stage microemulsion process and the seed precipitation polymerization. The particle size was varied in the range 80−320 nm by changing of the monomer concentration and water/surfactant ratio. The magnetic properties and the size distribution of the nanoparticles synthesized by these three methods were compared. The polymeric nanoparticles synthesized in single microemulsion have superparamagnetic properties and the narrowest size distribution.