Carbon microspheres with embedded magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Narrow-size disperse porous carbon microspheres with embedded magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by annealing Fe(III)-containing microspheres composed of a copolymer of acrylic acid and divinylbenzene at 800 degrees C under inert atmosphere. The Fe(111)-containing microspheres were prepared by uptake of Fe2+ ions through ion exchange process by poly(acrylic acid-divinylbenzene) microspheres that were prepared by distillation-precipitation polymerization, followed by annealing at 250 degrees C at ambient atmosphere. The carbonization of the microspheres created micropores with a maximum pore diameter of about 0.38 nm and a BET surface area of similar to 200 m(2)/g. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic carbon microspheres was 31.5 emu/g with a low remnant magnetization and coercivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.