Hybrid nanostructured materials with tunable magnetic characteristics.

We report on the development of hybrid nanostructured materials (HNM) based on spinel-metal-oxide nanoparticles (SMON) stabilized in carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC)/cetyltrimethyl-ammonium-bromide (CTAB) templates, with tunable magnetic characteristics. These HNM were synthesized using a one-pot chemical approach to obtain CMC/CTAB templates with controllable size and morphology, where the SMON could be densely arranged. The synthesized HNM were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and its related techniques, such as bright field (BF) and Z-contrast (HAADF-STEM) imaging, and selected area electron diffraction, as well as static magnetic measuring. Experimental evidence suggests that the morphology and size of the CMC/CTAB templates are highly dependent on the weight ratio of CTAB:SMON, as well as the hydration days of the CMC that is used for the synthesis of the HNM. Controlling these parameters allows modifying the density of the SMON arrangement in the CMC/CTAB templates. Moreover, magnetic features such as remanence, coercivity, and blocking/de-blocking processes of the particles' magnetic moments are highly dependent on the interactions among the SMON assembled in the templates. Hence, the magnetic characteristics of HNM can be modulated or tuned by controlling the manner the SMON are arranged within the CMC/CTAB templates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]