Magnetic Anisotropic Particles: Synthesis and Applications

Abstract

Recent breakthroughs in nanomaterial synthesis have led to continuous development of an expanding library of novel, complex, and shapecontrolled structures with unique properties. Such anisotropic Janus particles (JPs) are colloids that provide asymmetry and can impart different chemical and physical properties and directionality within a Soft, Hard, and Hybrid Janus Structures Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com by MONASH UNIVERSITY on 07/29/18. Re-use and distribution is strictly not permitted, except for Open Access articles. 124 X. J. Loh and B. M. Teo single particle. The fabrication of such asymmetric particles has attracted tremendous interest amongst research scientists and this interest arises from their fascinating properties and the exciting range of potential application opportunities. JPs are typically divided into three categories, namely, polymeric, inorganic, and polymeric-inorganic. Each of this kind of JPs can be of a range of shapes such as spherical, snowman-shaped, rod-shaped, or cylindrical. Herein, this chapter focuses mainly on JPs with a magnetic component, with emphasis on the fabrication methods and also the unique properties and applications of magnetic JPs in recent years.