Nanoparticle dispersion and electroactive phase content in polyvinylidene fluoride/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanocomposites for magnetoelectric applications

Ni0.5Zn0.5FeO4 ferrite/polyvinylidene fluoride composite films were prepared by a solution method and melt processing. As nanoparticle dispersion and polymer electroactive phase content are some of the key factors for improving magnetoelectric coupling in the composites, the dispersion of ferrite nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix was studied by preparing samples by two alternative dispersion routes: ultrasound and citric acid nanoparticle surfactation. The nucleation of the electroactive beta-phase of the polymer was observed in composites produced by nanoparticle dispersion by ultrasound. This fact avoids the need of stretching composites at elevated temperature in order to obtain the electroactive phase and obtain magnetoelectric composites. By this method, nevertheless, large nanoparticle agglomerates are obtained. Nanoparticle dispersion is largely improved by citric acid surfactation of the nanoparticles. On the other hand, the beta-phase of the polymer is not nucleated due to the modification of the nanoparticle-polymer interaction due to the presence of the surfactant.

Reversible aggregation and chemical resistance of magnetic nanoclusters for their recycling and repetitive use in industrial bioprocesses

Magnetic nanoclusters are widely used as carriers for biomedical and bioindustrial applications. The chemical resistance of the nanoclusters is a key factor for the recycling the magnetic beads for a repetitive use in the industrial bioprocesses. In this work, a study of the chemical resistance of Fe2O3 silica-coated nanoclusters at different pH is presented. The use of Horizontal Low Gradient Magnetic Field (HLGMF) for the control and separation of the magnetic nanoclusters at diferent magnetic field gradients is also investigated. For these purposes Fe2O3 silica-coated nanoclusters are synthesised and characreized by SQUID, TEM, Zeta potential techniques. The magnetophoresis study was performed at 15 T/m and 30 T/m magnetic field gradients. Recycling aspects of the nanoclusters were estimated by evaluating their resistance to pH variation from acid to basic solutions of about pH 2.5 and 10.

Simple analytical model for the magnetophoretic separation of superparamagnetic dispersions in a uniform magnetic gradient

Magnetophoresis--the motion of magnetic particles under applied magnetic gradient--is a process of great interest in novel applications of magnetic nanoparticles and colloids. In general, there are two main different types of magnetophoresis processes: cooperative magnetophoresis (a fast process enhanced by particle-particle interactions) and noncooperative magnetophoresis (driven by the motion of individual particles in magnetic fields). In the case of noncooperative magnetophoresis, we have obtained a simple analytical solution which allows the prediction of the magnetophoresis kinetics from particle characterization data (size and magnetization). Our comparison with new experimental results shows good quantitative agreement. In addition, we show the existence of a universal curve onto which all experimental results should collapse after proper rescaling. The range of applicability of the analytical solution is discussed in light of the predictions of a magnetic aggregation model [Soft Matter 7, 2336 (2011)].