Fabrication and characterization of 1 D Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) nanochains with thermo- and pH-responsive shell for controlled release for phenolphthalein

One-dimensional (1D) Fe3O4/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-methacrylic acid-N,N' -methylenebisacrylamide)(Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA)) peapod-like nanochains have been successfully synthesized by magnetic field-induced precipitation polymerization. Fe3O4 microspheres modified with vinyl groups can be arranged with the direction of the external magnetic field in a line and linked permanently via P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) coating during precipitation polymerization. The properties of 1D Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Magnetic measurement revealed that these 1D peapod-like nanochains showed highly magnetic sensitivity. The thermal- and pH- response of 1D magnetic Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) nanochains was investigated by the temperature/pH dependence of hydrodynamic radius of Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) microspheres. The release behavior of phenolphthalein from 1D magnetic Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-MAA-MBA) nanochains could be effectively controlled by changing the temperature/pH values.