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In this paper, an innovative device with gas remote-sensing capability is proposed, which is based on the interaction between magnetic nanoparticles and gases associated with exhaled breath biomarkers that can have a metabolic origin. Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles of around 30 nm have been used. The gas molecules adsorbed on surface modulate the magnetization of the nanoparticles and magnetostatic surface spin waves (MSSW) propagated on an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) thin film are used to detect this modulation by the induced frequency shift. The optimization of the remote gas sensor has been carried out through simulations of a magnetic model. Simulations show the feasibility of developing a high-performance remote sensor by encapsulating the nano- structures in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube and detecting part per million changes in their magnetiza- tion. The results show the possibility of developing new, inexpensive, reusable, contactless magnetic gas sensors employing spin waves as transductor. The developed sensor shows a high sensitivity and selectivity to concen- trations as low as 50 ppm of different breath biomarkers.

Chitosan-pectin films with iron oxide (Fe3O4) magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by solution casting in order to produce biopolymer based magnetically active materials. Infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated physical interactions between the matrix and nanoparticles, corroborated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. In addition, thermal characterization suggested that the interactions between chitosan, pectin and the nanoparticles resulted in a less compact structure, influencing the film mechanical properties. Regarding vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM) and electrical analysis, chitosan-pectin films with Fe3O4 nanoparticles showed ferrimagnetic behavior, with an increase of the dielectric constant as the nanoparticle concentration increased. Furthermore, films displayed enhanced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive) bacteria. Therefore, chitosan-pectin films with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles provide promising results for active and intelligent food packaging applications.

In the present study, an adsorbent with a synergistic effect was developed from chitosan (CS) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4 Nps) to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The Fe3O4 Nps were synthesized by co-precipitation and were characterized by TEM. The CS/NPs composites were prepared by electrospinning technique and analyzed by SEM, FT-IR, DSC, and TGA. In the batch system, the influence of Fe3O4 Nps content, pH, contact time, Cr(VI) initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, and the temperature was investigated; the Cr(VI) concentration was determined using a colorimetric method by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The Fe3O4 Nps presented a quasi-spherical shape and an average size of 18 nm, with a low particle distribution. The SEM analysis reveals the presence of highly porous, interconnected micrometric structures. The optimal adsorption conditions were 1% load of Fe3O4 Nps by weight of CS, pH 3, 25 °C, and equilibrium was reached at just 9 min. Besides, the adsorption is favored by increasing Cr(VI) initial concentration and adsorbent dosage. The studies of reaction kinetics and adsorption equilibrium showed that the experimental data were better fitted to the Pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models, establishing monolayer formation and chemisorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of CS/ Fe3O4 Nps was 440.75 mg/g, which indicates a high affinity of the adsorbent for Cr(VI). Finally, a kinetic diffusion study established that intraparticle diffusion, and in particular surface diffusion, are important resistances in the transport of Cr(VI) from the liquid phase to the active site.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as low-cost oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts, however, suffering aggregation and poor operation stability. Herein, ultrafine Fe3O4 nanoparticles (diameter: 6 ± 2 nm) are homogeneously immobilized on 2D Ni based MOFs (Ni-BDC, thickness: 5 ± 1 nm) to improve the OER stability. Electronic structure modulation for enhanced catalytic activity is studied via adjusting the amount of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on Ni-BDC. The optimal Fe3O4/Ni-BDC achieves the best OER performance with an overpotential of 295 mV at 10 mA cm-2, a Tafel slope of 47.8 mV dec-1 and a considerable catalytic durability of more than 40 h (less than 5 h for Ni-BDC alone). DFT calculations confirm that the active sites for Fe3O4/Ni-BDC are mainly contributed by Fe species with a higher oxidation state, and the potential-determining step (PDS) is the formation of the adsorbed O* species, which are facilitated in the composite.

Cellulose is a biopolymer with a wide range of properties like biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, porosity, good mechanical properties, biodegradability and non-toxicity. The properties and application of cellulose based materials are related to the source of the cellulose production. Despite the fact that the plant cellulose is playing a leading role in obtaining cellulose fibers, it has been found that ecologically and economically, a better source for obtaining cellulose is by fermenting a particular strain of bacteria. Although bacterial nano cellulose (BCN) based materials can be used in numerous industries, from the paper and food industries to biomedicine, their application in electronics is limited because bacterial cellulose does not have conductive and ferromagnetic properties. Having this in mind in this research, the results of the development of nanocomposite materials based on BCN modified with Fe3O4 has been presented. The differences in the interaction of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and BCN obtained by varying precipitation parameters were investigated and the effect of reaction time was followed by SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR analysis. It has been found that this type of modifications of the initial BCN, enables development of new composite materials with superior properties, which can be used in various fields of electronics.

As a potential magnetic super adsorbent in wastewater treatment, Fe3O4 has been re-searched intensively up to date. However, its key problem of poor comprehensive magnetic properties is still challenging. In this work, an effective solution to this problem has been developed by a one-step carbothermal synthesis of Fe3O4 crystals, which are merited with pure-stoichiometry (FeO-phase free), high crystallinity, small-size (~10 nm), strong magnetism and sensitive magnetic response. The unveiled saturation magnetization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles reaches as high as 90.32 emu·g−1, and the fastest magnetic response time is as short as only 5 s. Such magnetic Fe3O4 super adsorbents exhibit outstanding performance when applied as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment. They can quickly and effectively adsorb methylene blue with an adsorption capacity of 62.5 mg·g−1, which is much higher than that of Fe3O4 adsorbents prepared by other methods reported in the literature. Importantly, this capacity is refreshable after removing the adsorbed methylene blue just by ultrasonic cleaning. With such combined outstanding magnetic properties and recyclable adsorption capacity, the problems associated with the conventional adsorbent solid–liquid separation could be resolved, thus making a forward development towards industrial wastewater treatment.

Cellulose is a biopolymer with a wide range of properties like biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, porosity, good mechanical properties, biodegradability and non-toxicity. The properties and application of cellulose based materials are related to the source of the cellulose production. Despite the fact that the plant cellulose is playing a leading role in obtaining cellulose fibers, it has been found that ecologically and economically, a better source for obtaining cellulose is by fermenting a particular strain of bacteria. Although bacterial nano cellulose (BCN) based materials can be used in numerous industries, from the paper and food industries to biomedicine, their application in electronics is limited because bacterial cellulose does not have conductive and ferromagnetic properties. Having this in mind in this research, the results of the development of nanocomposite materials based on BCN modified with Fe3O4 has been presented. The differences in the interaction of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and BCN obtained by varying precipitation parameters were investigated and the effect of reaction time was followed by SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR analysis. It has been found that this type of modifications of the initial BCN, enables development of new composite materials with superior properties, which can be used in various fields of electronics.

Combinations of microbubbles (MBs) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are used to fabricate dual contrast agents for ultrasound and MRI. This study examines the viscoelastic and oscillation characteristics of two MB types that are manufactured with SPIONs and either anchored chemically on the surface (MBs-chem) or physically embedded (MBs-phys) into a polymer shell. A linearized Church model was employed to simultaneously fit attenuation coefficients and phase velocity spectra that were acquired experimentally. The model predicted lower viscoelastic modulus values, undamped resonance frequencies and total damping ratios for MBs-chem. MBs-chem had a resonance frequency of approximately 13 MHz and a damping ratio of approximately 0.9; thus, MBs-chem can potentially be used as a conventional ultrasound contrast agent with the combined functionality of MRI detection. In contrast, MBs-phys had a resonance frequency and damping of 28 MHz and 1.2, respectively, and requires further modification of clinically available contrast pulse sequences to be visualized., QC 20141117

Fe3O4 and ZnxFe3-xO4 pure and doped magnetite magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in aqueous solution (Series A) or in a water-ethyl alcohol mixture (Series B) by the co-precipitation method. Only one ferromagnetic resonance line was observed in all cases under consideration indicating that the materials are magnetically uniform. The shortfall in the resonance fields from 3.27 kOe (for the frequency of 9.5 GHz) expected for spheres can be understood taking into account the dipolar forces, magnetoelasticity, or magnetocrystalline anisotropy. All samples show non-zero low field absorption. For Series A samples the grain size decreases with an increase of the Zn content. In this case zero field absorption does not correlate with the changes of the grain size. For Series B samples the grain size and zero field absorption behavior correlate with each other. The highest zero-field absorption corresponded to 0.2 zinc concentration in both A and B series. High zero-field absorption of Fe3O4 ferrite magnetic NPs can be interesting for biomedical applications.

Enzyme-catalyzed production of biodiesel is the object of extensive research due to the global shortage of fossil fuels and increased environmental concerns. Herein we report the preparation and main characteristics of a novel biocatalyst consisting of Cross-Linked Enzyme Aggregates (CLEAs) of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) which are covalently bound to magnetic nanoparticles, and tackle its use for the synthesis of biodiesel from non-edible vegetable and waste frying oils. For this purpose, insolubilized CALB was covalently cross-linked to magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite which the surface was functionalized with –NH2 groups. The resulting biocatalyst combines the relevant catalytic properties of CLEAs (as great stability and feasibility for their reutilization) and the magnetic character, and thus the final product (mCLEAs) are superparamagnetic particles of a robust catalyst which is more stable than the free enzyme, easily recoverable from the reaction medium and reusable for new catalytic cycles. We have studied the main properties of this biocatalyst and we have assessed its utility to catalyze transesterification reactions to obtain biodiesel from non-edible vegetable oils including unrefined soybean, jatropha and cameline, as well as waste frying oil. Using 1% mCLEAs (w/w of oil) conversions near 80% were routinely obtained at 30°C after 24 h of reaction, this value rising to 92% after 72 h. Moreover, the magnetic biocatalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused for at least ten consecutive cycles of 24 h without apparent loss of activity. The obtained results suggest that mCLEAs prepared from CALB can become a powerful biocatalyst for application at industrial scale with better performance than those currently available.

Fe3O4 and ZnxFe3-xO4 pure and doped magnetite magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in aqueous solution (Series A) or in a water-ethyl alcohol mixture (Series B) by the co-precipitation method. Only one ferromagnetic resonance line was observed in all cases under consideration indicating that the materials are magnetically uniform. The shortfall in the resonance fields from 3.27 kOe (for the frequency of 9.5 GHz) expected for spheres can be understood taking into account the dipolar forces, magnetoelasticity, or magnetocrystalline anisotropy. All samples show non-zero low field absorption. For Series A samples the grain size decreases with an increase of the Zn content. In this case zero field absorption does not correlate with the changes of the grain size. For Series B samples the grain size and zero field absorption behavior correlate with each other. The highest zero-field absorption corresponded to 0.2 zinc concentration in both A and B series. High zero-field absorption of Fe3O4 ferrite magnetic NPs can be interesting for biomedical applications.

Enzyme-catalyzed production of biodiesel is the object of extensive research due to the global shortage of fossil fuels and increased environmental concerns. Herein we report the preparation and main characteristics of a novel biocatalyst consisting of Cross-Linked Enzyme Aggregates (CLEAs) of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) which are covalently bound to magnetic nanoparticles, and tackle its use for the synthesis of biodiesel from non-edible vegetable and waste frying oils. For this purpose, insolubilized CALB was covalently cross-linked to magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite which the surface was functionalized with –NH2 groups. The resulting biocatalyst combines the relevant catalytic properties of CLEAs (as great stability and feasibility for their reutilization) and the magnetic character, and thus the final product (mCLEAs) are superparamagnetic particles of a robust catalyst which is more stable than the free enzyme, easily recoverable from the reaction medium and reusable for new catalytic cycles. We have studied the main properties of this biocatalyst and we have assessed its utility to catalyze transesterification reactions to obtain biodiesel from non-edible vegetable oils including unrefined soybean, jatropha and cameline, as well as waste frying oil. Using 1% mCLEAs (w/w of oil) conversions near 80% were routinely obtained at 30°C after 24 h of reaction, this value rising to 92% after 72 h. Moreover, the magnetic biocatalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused for at least ten consecutive cycles of 24 h without apparent loss of activity. The obtained results suggest that mCLEAs prepared from CALB can become a powerful biocatalyst for application at industrial scale with better performance than those currently available.

Fe3O4 and ZnxFe3-xO4 pure and doped magnetite magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in aqueous solution (Series A) or in a water-ethyl alcohol mixture (Series B) by the co-precipitation method. Only one ferromagnetic resonance line was observed in all cases under consideration indicating that the materials are magnetically uniform. The shortfall in the resonance fields from 3.27 kOe (for the frequency of 9.5 GHz) expected for spheres can be understood taking into account the dipolar forces, magnetoelasticity, or magnetocrystalline anisotropy. All samples show non-zero low field absorption. For Series A samples the grain size decreases with an increase of the Zn content. In this case zero field absorption does not correlate with the changes of the grain size. For Series B samples the grain size and zero field absorption behavior correlate with each other. The highest zero-field absorption corresponded to 0.2 zinc concentration in both A and B series. High zero-field absorption of Fe3O4 ferrite magnetic NPs can be interesting for biomedical applications.

Enzyme-catalyzed production of biodiesel is the object of extensive research due to the global shortage of fossil fuels and increased environmental concerns. Herein we report the preparation and main characteristics of a novel biocatalyst consisting of Cross-Linked Enzyme Aggregates (CLEAs) of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) which are covalently bound to magnetic nanoparticles, and tackle its use for the synthesis of biodiesel from non-edible vegetable and waste frying oils. For this purpose, insolubilized CALB was covalently cross-linked to magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite which the surface was functionalized with –NH2 groups. The resulting biocatalyst combines the relevant catalytic properties of CLEAs (as great stability and feasibility for their reutilization) and the magnetic character, and thus the final product (mCLEAs) are superparamagnetic particles of a robust catalyst which is more stable than the free enzyme, easily recoverable from the reaction medium and reusable for new catalytic cycles. We have studied the main properties of this biocatalyst and we have assessed its utility to catalyze transesterification reactions to obtain biodiesel from non-edible vegetable oils including unrefined soybean, jatropha and cameline, as well as waste frying oil. Using 1% mCLEAs (w/w of oil) conversions near 80% were routinely obtained at 30°C after 24 h of reaction, this value rising to 92% after 72 h. Moreover, the magnetic biocatalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused for at least ten consecutive cycles of 24 h without apparent loss of activity. The obtained results suggest that mCLEAs prepared from CALB can become a powerful biocatalyst for application at industrial scale with better performance than those currently available.

This thesis presents the synthesis methods and the characterizations of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silica spheres with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded, and three dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) prepared from the spheres. The structure, material composition, magnetic and optical properties, photonic band gaps (PBGs), as well as how these properties depend on the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles, are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), Faraday rotation (FR) and optical spectrophotometers. Well-organized, face center cubic (fcc)-structured, super-paramagnetic 3D MPCs have been obtained and their PBGs are investigated through optical spectra. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by standard co-precipitation method and a rapid mixing co-precipitation method with particle size varied from 6.6 nm to 15.0 nm at different synthesis temperature (0°C ~ 100°C). The obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which show crystalline structure with superparamagnetic property, are embedded into silica spheres prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method using the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a base solution with different concentrations. By controlling the synthesis conditions (e.g., chemicals, the ratio of chemicals and stirring time), different size of MPC spheres in range of 75 nm to 680 nm has been obtained in a narrow distribution. The sphere suspensions in ethanol are dropped on glass substrate in the permanent magnetic field to achieve well organized 3D MPCs with (111) triangular close packed crystal plane of fcc structure parallel to the surface of substrate. From the transmission & forward scattering spectra (TF), five PBGs have been distinguished for these MPCs and they are defined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th PBGs according to the order of peaks that appear in mathematic fitting analysis. The positi, QC 20110224

This thesis presents the synthesis methods and the characterizations of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silica spheres with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded, and three dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) prepared from the spheres. The structure, material composition, magnetic and optical properties, photonic band gaps (PBGs), as well as how these properties depend on the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles, are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), Faraday rotation (FR) and optical spectrophotometers. Well-organized, face center cubic (fcc)-structured, super-paramagnetic 3D MPCs have been obtained and their PBGs are investigated through optical spectra. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by standard co-precipitation method and a rapid mixing co-precipitation method with particle size varied from 6.6 nm to 15.0 nm at different synthesis temperature (0°C ~ 100°C). The obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which show crystalline structure with superparamagnetic property, are embedded into silica spheres prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method using the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a base solution with different concentrations. By controlling the synthesis conditions (e.g., chemicals, the ratio of chemicals and stirring time), different size of MPC spheres in range of 75 nm to 680 nm has been obtained in a narrow distribution. The sphere suspensions in ethanol are dropped on glass substrate in the permanent magnetic field to achieve well organized 3D MPCs with (111) triangular close packed crystal plane of fcc structure parallel to the surface of substrate. From the transmission & forward scattering spectra (TF), five PBGs have been distinguished for these MPCs and they are defined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th PBGs according to the order of peaks that appear in mathematic fitting analysis. The positi, QC 20110224

This thesis presents the synthesis methods and the characterizations of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silica spheres with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded, and three dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) prepared from the spheres. The structure, material composition, magnetic and optical properties, photonic band gaps (PBGs), as well as how these properties depend on the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles, are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), Faraday rotation (FR) and optical spectrophotometers. Well-organized, face center cubic (fcc)-structured, super-paramagnetic 3D MPCs have been obtained and their PBGs are investigated through optical spectra. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by standard co-precipitation method and a rapid mixing co-precipitation method with particle size varied from 6.6 nm to 15.0 nm at different synthesis temperature (0°C ~ 100°C). The obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which show crystalline structure with superparamagnetic property, are embedded into silica spheres prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method using the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a base solution with different concentrations. By controlling the synthesis conditions (e.g., chemicals, the ratio of chemicals and stirring time), different size of MPC spheres in range of 75 nm to 680 nm has been obtained in a narrow distribution. The sphere suspensions in ethanol are dropped on glass substrate in the permanent magnetic field to achieve well organized 3D MPCs with (111) triangular close packed crystal plane of fcc structure parallel to the surface of substrate. From the transmission & forward scattering spectra (TF), five PBGs have been distinguished for these MPCs and they are defined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th PBGs according to the order of peaks that appear in mathematic fitting analysis. The positi, QC 20110224

This thesis presents the synthesis methods and the characterizations of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silica spheres with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded, and three dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) prepared from the spheres. The structure, material composition, magnetic and optical properties, photonic band gaps (PBGs), as well as how these properties depend on the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles, are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), Faraday rotation (FR) and optical spectrophotometers. Well-organized, face center cubic (fcc)-structured, super-paramagnetic 3D MPCs have been obtained and their PBGs are investigated through optical spectra. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by standard co-precipitation method and a rapid mixing co-precipitation method with particle size varied from 6.6 nm to 15.0 nm at different synthesis temperature (0°C ~ 100°C). The obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which show crystalline structure with superparamagnetic property, are embedded into silica spheres prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method using the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a base solution with different concentrations. By controlling the synthesis conditions (e.g., chemicals, the ratio of chemicals and stirring time), different size of MPC spheres in range of 75 nm to 680 nm has been obtained in a narrow distribution. The sphere suspensions in ethanol are dropped on glass substrate in the permanent magnetic field to achieve well organized 3D MPCs with (111) triangular close packed crystal plane of fcc structure parallel to the surface of substrate. From the transmission & forward scattering spectra (TF), five PBGs have been distinguished for these MPCs and they are defined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th PBGs according to the order of peaks that appear in mathematic fitting analysis. The positi, QC 20110224

This thesis presents the synthesis methods and the characterizations of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silica spheres with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded, and three dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) prepared from the spheres. The structure, material composition, magnetic and optical properties, photonic band gaps (PBGs), as well as how these properties depend on the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles, are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), Faraday rotation (FR) and optical spectrophotometers. Well-organized, face center cubic (fcc)-structured, super-paramagnetic 3D MPCs have been obtained and their PBGs are investigated through optical spectra. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by standard co-precipitation method and a rapid mixing co-precipitation method with particle size varied from 6.6 nm to 15.0 nm at different synthesis temperature (0°C ~ 100°C). The obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which show crystalline structure with superparamagnetic property, are embedded into silica spheres prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method using the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a base solution with different concentrations. By controlling the synthesis conditions (e.g., chemicals, the ratio of chemicals and stirring time), different size of MPC spheres in range of 75 nm to 680 nm has been obtained in a narrow distribution. The sphere suspensions in ethanol are dropped on glass substrate in the permanent magnetic field to achieve well organized 3D MPCs with (111) triangular close packed crystal plane of fcc structure parallel to the surface of substrate. From the transmission & forward scattering spectra (TF), five PBGs have been distinguished for these MPCs and they are defined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th PBGs according to the order of peaks that appear in mathematic fitting analysis. The positi, QC 20110224

This work reports the development and testing of a magnetic polymer (Polyamide 6, PA6) nanocomposite capable of melting when exposed to an external magnetic field. Addition of high concentrations of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) can induce quick melting but is detrimental to the mechanical properties of the polymer. To reduce the amount of NPs required for achieving efficient melting, they should be well dispersed in the polymer. In this study, the oleic acid loading on the surfaces of the NPs was varied to study the effect of variations in coatings on the dispersion in the polymer and on the polymer melting time. The NPs functionalized with oleic acid were added to melted monomer epsilon-caprolactam and polymerized using ring-opening polymerization. The resulting PA6 nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results confirmed that the PA6 nanocomposite showed a decrease of 8–10% in its glass-transition temperature compared to commercial PA6. The crystallinity of the synthesized samples were found to vary between 42% and 57%. The 55 wt.% oleic acid-loaded NPs were found to disperse most efficiently in the PA6 matrix; however, some large agglomerates were formed due to excessive oleic acid. Therefore, the 22 wt.% oleic acid coating showed overall superior dispersion. Additionally, the magnetic induction response was tested by observing a melt-characteristic of the magnetic polymer composite using a model set-up. Oleic acid concentration is found to affect the dispersion, melting time and crystallinity of the nanocomposite.

This work reports the development and testing of a magnetic polymer (Polyamide 6, PA6) nanocomposite capable of melting when exposed to an external magnetic field. Addition of high concentrations of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) can induce quick melting but is detrimental to the mechanical properties of the polymer. To reduce the amount of NPs required for achieving efficient melting, they should be well dispersed in the polymer. In this study, the oleic acid loading on the surfaces of the NPs was varied to study the effect of variations in coatings on the dispersion in the polymer and on the polymer melting time. The NPs functionalized with oleic acid were added to melted monomer epsilon-caprolactam and polymerized using ring-opening polymerization. The resulting PA6 nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results confirmed that the PA6 nanocomposite showed a decrease of 8–10% in its glass-transition temperature compared to commercial PA6. The crystallinity of the synthesized samples were found to vary between 42% and 57%. The 55 wt.% oleic acid-loaded NPs were found to disperse most efficiently in the PA6 matrix; however, some large agglomerates were formed due to excessive oleic acid. Therefore, the 22 wt.% oleic acid coating showed overall superior dispersion. Additionally, the magnetic induction response was tested by observing a melt-characteristic of the magnetic polymer composite using a model set-up. Oleic acid concentration is found to affect the dispersion, melting time and crystallinity of the nanocomposite.