Synthesis of colloidal magnetitenanocrystals using high molecular weight solvent

Abstract

In this work, we describe a single-step synthetic route to obtain magnetic nanocrystals (MN), Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals, soluble in different solvents. To synthesize grafted MN in a single step, we used a high molecular weight solvent (a polyol) that can be attached to the particle surface, which then transfers its solubility to the particle. Using polyols with different molecular weights and polarity enabled us to control the size, aggregation and morphology. The solubility behavior of the MN confirms our success in transferring the solubility of the adsorbed polymer to the nanocrystal.