Preparation of Magnetite Nanoparticles in Mesoporous Copolymer Template

Abstract

Preparation of size-controllable magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles by alkaline oxidation of ferrous ion adsorbed in sulfonated mesoporous styrene−divinylbenzene copolymer is described. It was observed that the magnetite nanoparticle size increases by ion-charging the sulfonated polymeric template with ferrous aqueous solution at increasing iron concentration. A simple model describing the amount of iron incorporation in the polymeric template is proposed. The magnetite-based composite was investigated by atomic absorption, transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and magnetization data.