title: Stable, polymer-directed and SPION-nucleated magnetic amphiphilic block copolymer nanoprecipitates with readily reversible assembly in magnetic fields.
abstract: The formation of inorganic-organic magnetic nanocomposites using reactive chemistry often leads to a loss of super-paramagnetisim when conducted in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles. We present here a low energy and chemically-mild process of co-nanoprecipitation using SPIONs and homopolymers or amphiphilic block copolymers, of varying architecture and hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance, which efficiently generates near monodisperse SPION-containing polymer nanoparticles with complete retention of magnetism, and highly reversible aggregation and redispersion behaviour. When linear and branched block copolymers with inherent water-solubility are used, a SPION-directed nanoprecipitation mechanism appears to dominate the nanoparticle formation presenting new opportunities for tailoring and scaling highly functional systems for a range of applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giardiello
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fiona L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Hatton
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chambon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: North
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Anita K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1, Pesek Road, Jurong Island, 627833, Singapore.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tom O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Block H, 70 Pembroke Place, Liverpool L69 3GF, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L697ZD, UK. srannard@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Steve P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Rannard