title: Shaped ceramics with tunable magnetic properties from metal-containing polymers
abstract: A shaped, magnetic ceramic was obtained from a metal-containing polymer network, which was synthesized by thermal polymerization of a metal-containing organosilicon monomer. Pyrolysis of a cylinder, shape, or film of the metal-containing polymer precursor produced a low-density magnetic ceramic replica in high yield. The magnetic properties of the shaped ceramic could be tuned between a superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic state by controlling the pyrolysis conditions, with the particular state dependent on the size of iron nanoclusters homogeneously dispersed throughout the carbosilane-graphitic-silicon nitride matrix. These results indicate that cross-linked metal-containing polymers may be useful precursors to ceramic monoliths with tailorable magnetic properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada. Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science and Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 184 College.
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: MacLachlan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ginzburg
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coombs
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Raju
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Greedan
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ozin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manners