Characterization of magnetite nanoparticles supported in sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene mesoporous copolymer.

The chemical co-precipitation process was used to synthesize (in situ) spherical iron-oxide nanoparticle in sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene polymeric template. X-ray diffraction technique supports the magnetite phase formation with a mean particle diameter of about 19 nm. The analysis of Mössbauer spectra is consistent with two magnetic splitting patterns assigned to A- and B-iron sites of magnetite, with no visible magnetic relaxation effect even at 297 K. Considering the different experimental time window between Mössbauer spectroscopy and DC magnetization, the results obtained from both techniques are in very good agreement. Magnetic data suggest hosting magnetite nanoparticles interacting antiferromagnetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]