Magnetic actuation of a thermodynamically stable colloid of ferromagnetic nanoparticles in a liquid crystal.

Prodanov, Maksym F; Buluy, Oleksandr G; Popova, Ekaterina V; Gamzaeva, Saniyat A; Reznikov, Yuriy O; Vashchenko, Valerii V · Soft Matter · 2016

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We report the development of a highly stable nanomaterial based on ferromagnetic nanoparticles dispersed in a thermotropic liquid crystal. The long-term colloidal stability and homogeneity were achieved through surface modification of the nanoparticles with a mixture of a dendritic oligomesogenic surfactant and hexylphosphonic acid and confirmed by optical and electron microscopy. The nanomaterial has an increased sensitivity to the magnetic field possessing collective and non-collective magneto-optical responses in contrast to the undoped LC. The effective coupling of the spherical particles with the LC director is due to the arrangement of the nanoparticles in chains.