Iron Oxide/Polymer Core–Shell Nanomaterials with Star-like Behavior

Nanomaterials

René Muller¹  Michel Rawiso¹  Benoît Heinrich²  Patrick Masson²  Geneviève Pourroy²  Virginie Vergnat² 

[1] Institut Charles Sadron (ICS), CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR 22, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg, France;Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UMR7504, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43, 67034 Strasbourg, France;

关键词: hybrid materials;    non-aggregated nanoparticles;    grafting from method;    X-ray scattering;    neutron scattering;    star polymers;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nano11092453

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Embedding nanoparticles (NPs) with organic shells is a way to control their aggregation behavior. Using polymers allows reaching relatively high shell thicknesses but suffers from the difficulty of obtaining regular hybrid objects at gram scale. Here, we describe a three-step synthesis in which multi-gram NP batches are first obtained by thermal decomposition, prior to their covalent grafting by an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator and to the controlled growing of the polymer shell. Specifically, non-aggregated iron oxide NPs with a core principally composed of γ-Fe₂O₃ (maghemite) and either polystyrene (PS) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) shell were elaborated. The oxide cores of about 13 nm diameter were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). After the polymerization, the overall diameter reached 60 nm, as shown by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The behavior in solution as well as rheological properties in the molten state of the polymeric shell resemble those of star polymers. Strategies to further improve the screening of NP cores with the polymer shells are discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown