Physicochemical Properties of a New Magnetic Nanostructure Based on Poly(Benzofurane-co-Arylacetic Acid)

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, it has been shown that magnetic nanomaterials, especially those formed by metal oxides, can be used in various fields due to their unique properties. To improve the efficiency of these nanoparticles, they have been covered by polymers or functionalized. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of hybrid magnetic core-shell nanostructures with inorganic cores consisting of magnetite surface-functionalized by o-phosphorylethanolamine and an organic shell formed by poly(benzofurane-co-arylacetic acid). For the attachment of the polymer chain on the preformed functionalized magnetite, the “grafting-from” strategy was applied, where the opening of the lactone ring is caused by amino groups at the nanoparticle surface. The properties of the magnetic-polymer hybrid nanostructures were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetization measurements.

KEYWORDS:

• Amine
• core-shell magnetic nanoparticles
• lactone
• polymer coating
• X-ray photoelectron microscopy

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Cristian Leostean for conducting magnetic measurements, PhD Student Sebastian Alin Porav for recording the transmission electron microscopy micrographs and Dr. Monica Dan for thermogravimetric analysis.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research under research project PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0654 contract no. 319/01.10.2015 and project PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-0168 NATMAGENZ.