Abstract
In this paper, the miniemulsion polymerization method was adopted to prepare nanospheres of magnetic nanoparticles (Mag NPs) encapsulated in polyacrylonitrile. In this approach, similar to 9 nm diameter Mag NPs were first synthesized via the thermal-decomposition method using oleic acid as a capping agent. Subsequently, the core-shell structures of aggregated Mag NPs-cores within polyacrylonitile-shells were successfully formed by the polymerization of acrylonitrile in the presence of Mag NPs, i.e. via the miniemulsion polymerization method. The morphology, shape, size, and elemental composition of these as-prepared Mag NPs-polyacrylonitrile composite particles were determined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The encapsulation of aggregated Mag NPs within the polymer matrix to form core-shell structures was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.