Preparation of stable magnetic nanofluids containing Fe3O4@PPy nanoparticles by a novel one-pot route

Abstract

Stable magnetic nanofluids containing Fe₃O₄@Polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by using a facile and novel method, in which one-pot route was used. FeCl₃·6H₂O was applied as the iron source, and the oxidizing agent to produce PPy. Trisodium citrate (Na₃cit) was used as the reducing reagent to form Fe₃O₄ NPs. The as-prepared nanofluid can keep long-term stability. The Fe₃O₄@PPy NPs can still keep dispersing well after the nanofluid has been standing for 1 month and no sedimentation is found. The polymerization reaction of the pyrrole monomers took place with Fe³⁺ ions as the initiator, in which these Fe³⁺ ions remained in the solution adsorbed on the surface of the Fe₃O₄ NPs. Thus, the core-shell NPs of Fe₃O₄@PPy were obtained. The particle size of the as-prepared Fe₃O₄@PPy can be easily controlled from 7 to 30 nm by the polymerization reaction of the pyrrole monomers. The steric stabilization and weight of the NPs affect the stability of the nanofluids. The as-prepared Fe₃O₄@PPy NPs exhibit superparamagnetic behavior.