Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetoelectric Nanomaterial Composed of Fe3O4 and Polyindole

Magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite is synthesized using conducting polyindole and nano-sized magnetite (Fe3O4) particles through the in situ polymerization method. The effect of nanoparticles content on the polyindole matrix is studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and DC conductivity measurements. FTIR and UV spectra of the composite show the intermolecular interaction between the polymer and magnetite nanoparticles. Morphological observation and crystal structure studies reveal that nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed in the polymer with well-shaped spheres, and their average sizes are in the nano region. DSC studies, showing an increase in glass-transition temperature with an increase in the content of Fe3O4, reveal the ordered arrangement of the polymer chain in the nanocomposite than pure polyindole. DC conductivity of the nanocomposites increases with an increase in the content of nanoparticles, and the conductivity of the nanocomposite is higher than that of polyindole. The dependence of magnetization on the applied magnetic field for the nanocomposites is studied using the vibration sample magnetometer technique. It has been found that the saturated magnetism linearly increases with increasing the Fe3O4 content in the polymer composite. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.