Magnetic properties of magnetic hydrogels

摘要

Several samples of magnetic hydrogels (also known as ferrogels) are prepared, and their magnetic properties are examined. Polyacrylamide gel is used as the base. Gel matrices are filled with the nanopowder: iron particles with the mean size about 30 nm. The magnetization curves of the samples were measured at different stages of drying. The dependencies of such parameters of magnetization curves as coercive field, remanent magnetization from concentration of magnetic particles in the sample along the process of drying were investigated. Magnetic hydrogels (ferrogels) are quite new smart nanocomposites with a wide prospect in applications [1-12]. In particular, these soft magnetic materials are intended to be used as humidity and temperature sensors and actuators of many kinds in microfluidics and medicine. Due to this, their investigation is an issue of progressively growing interest for chemists, physicists and engineers.