NMR studies into colloidal stability and magnetic order in fatty acid stabilised aqueous magnetic fluids

We report the physico-chemical characterisation of fatty acid stabilised aqueous magnetic fluids, which are ideal systems for studying the influence of nanoparticle aggregation on the emergent magnetic resonance properties of the suspensions. Stable colloids of superparamagnetic magnetite, Fe3O4, nanoparticle clusters in the 80 to 100 nm size range were produced by in situ nanoparticle growth and stabilisation, and by suspending pre-formed nanoparticles. NMR relaxation analysis shows that the magnetic resonance properties of the two types of suspension differ substantially and provides new insights into how the relaxation mechanisms are determined by the organisation of the nanoparticles within the clusters.