Fabrication of 1D Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MBA) thermosensitive nanochains by magnetic-field-induced precipitation polymerization

One-dimensional (ID) magnetic thermosensitive Fe3O4/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide–N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide) (P(NIPAM-MBA)) peapod-like nanochains have been successfully synthesized by magnetic-field-induced precipitation polymerization using Fe3O4 as building blocks and P(NIPAM-MBA) as linker. Fe3O4 microspheres can be arranged with the direction of an external magnetic field in a line via the dipolar interaction between Fe3O4 microspheres and linked permanently via P(NIPAM-MBA) coating during precipitation polymerization. 1D magnetic Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MBA) peapod-like nanochains can be oriented and aligned along the direction of the external magnetic field. More interestingly, Fe3O4 microspheres in each peapod were regularly arranged in a line and periodically separated through the P(NIPAM-MBA) layers with a visible interparticle spacing.