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A facile and novel processable method to synthesize the Ni nanoparticles (Ni NPs) by tailoring their size in the matrix of the silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic system is reported. This method is based on polymer‐derived ceramics (PDCs), instead of the conventional powder route. The specific structural characteristics and magnetic properties of the various Ni NPs/SiOC composites as a function of carbon content are systematically investigated. The magnetic properties are experimentally investigated as a function of NP size and measurement temperature. It is demonstrated that the change in the size of Ni NPs (average from ≈4 to ≈ 19 nm) determines the magnetic nature of superparamagnetism. Zero‐field‐cooled (ZFC) and field‐cooled (FC) magnetization studies under magnetic fields of 100 Oe are performed. The saturatedMversusH(M–H) loops (saturation magnetization) increase and the coercivity decreases with the size reduction of Ni NPs. It is an indicator of the presence of superparamagnetic behavior and single‐domain NP for ceramic materials.
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Effect of nanoparticle loading and magnetic field application on the thermodynamic, optical, and rheological behavior of thermoresponsive polymer solutions
Abstract Although processing via external stimuli is a promising technique to tune the structure and properties of polymeric materials, the impact of magnetic fields on phase transitions in thermoresponsive polymer solutions is not well‐understood. As nanoparticle (NP) addition is also known to impact these thermodynamic and optical properties, synergistic effects from combining magnetic fields with NP incorporation provide a novel route for tuning material properties. Here, the thermodynamic, optical, and rheological properties of aqueous poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions are examined in the presence of hydrophilic silica NPs and magnetic fields, individually and jointly, via Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), magneto‐turbidimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and magneto‐rheology. While NPs and magnetic fields both reduce the phase separation energy barrier and lower optical transition temperatures by altering hydrogen bonding (H‐bonding), infrared spectra demonstrate that the mechanism by which these changes occur is distinct. Magnetic fields primarily alter solvent polarization while NPs provide PNIPAM–NP H‐bonding sites. Combining NP addition with field application uniquely alters the solution environment and results in field‐dependent rheological behavior that is unseen in polymer‐only solutions. These investigations provide fundamental understanding on the interplay of magnetic fields and NP addition on PNIPAM thermoresponsivity which can be harnessed for increasingly complex stimuli‐responsive materials.
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- PAR ID:
- 10431341
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology
- Volume:
- 29
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1083-5601
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 795-812
- Size(s):
- p. 795-812
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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