Amorphous coatings formed with mono-, di-, and tetra-phosphonic acids on barium hexaferrite (BHF) nanoplatelets using various synthesis conditions. The coatings, synthesized in water with di-or tetra-phosphonic acids, were thicker than that could be expected from the ligand size and the surface coverage, as determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Here, we propose a mechanism for coating formation based on direct evidence of the surface dissolution/precipitation of the BHF nanoplatelets. The partial dissolution of the nanoplatelets was observed with atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, and the released Fe(III) ions were detected with energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy in amorphous coating. The strong chemical interaction between the surface Fe(III) ions with phosphonic ligands induces the dissolution of BHF nanoplatelets and the consequent precipitation of the Fe(III)-phosphonates that assemble into a porous coating. The so-obtained porous nanomagnets are highly responsive to a very weak magnetic field (in the order of Earth's magnetic field) at room temperature, which is a major advantage over the classic mesoporous nanomaterials and metal−organo-phosphonic frameworks with only a weak magnetic response at a few kelvins. The combination of porosity with the intrinsic magneto-crystalline anisotropy of BHF can be exploited, for example, as sorbents for heavy metals from contaminated water.

In a room-temperature liquid magnet, barium hexaferrite (BHF) nanoplatelets suspended in 1-butanol spontaneously order and form a ferromagnetic nematic phase. In such concentrated suspension, the nanoplatelets align in large macroscopic regions, forming magnetic domains. The key parameter for the suspension stability and the formation of the ferromagnetic nematic phase is electrostatic interaction, which can be influenced by the solvent and the concentration of surfactant, i.e., dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA). In this study, we investigated electrostatic interactions of the DBSA-functionalized nanoplatelets' suspensions in different alcohols. We prepared suspensions in tert-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-butanol, and 2-propanol and measured conductivity, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electrophoretic mobility. SAXS results and electrophoretic mobility measurements confirmed the colloidal stability of the suspensions, which was not affected by the variation in concentration of added DBSA of the order of 1.3 mM. We showed that the dielectric constant of the solvent affects the surface charge, the strength of the electrostatic repulsion between the nanoplatelets, and the Debye screening length. The balance between the magnetic dipolar attraction and the electrostatic repulsion was proven to be essential for the ferromagnetic nematic phase formation.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Ferrofluids most often consist of three components, they are: solid particles, the liquid in which they are dissolved and a substance that is supposed to prevent sedimentation - called surfacant. The biggest problem with ferrofluids is their stability. Mixtures in which one of the phases is a solid phase have a natural tendency to sedimentation. As a result, physical properties change during the use of such materials. As part of the research, it was decided to check which ferrofluid composition would be most resistant to continuous evaporation and condensation processes. Three different mixtures were analyzed. As a result of the experiment it was found that the best behavior was mixture of: iron-oxide with n-heptane and fatty acid as surfacant.