Recent progress of magnetic nanomaterials from cobalt-containing organometallic polymer precursors

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are important functional materials for applications ranging from information storage to biomedicine. In comparison with the traditional synthetic approaches, the preparation of MNPs from the pyrolysis of organometallic polymers has attracted increasing attention, due to their rich species, excellent solution processability, and relatively good control of the properties of the yielded MNPs. This review summarizes the recent progress of cobalt-containing organometallic polymers and their utilization as precursors for the preparation of functional magnetic nanostructures through controllable pyrolysis. For comparison, the pyrolysis of Co-containing organometallic compounds with a precise molecular structure was also involved to underline the structure-property relationship between the organometallic precursors and the as-generated products. Furthermore, novel approaches are introduced for the in situ generation of magnetic nanoarrays with adjustable magnetic properties through the self-assembly and subsequent low temperature thermolysis of Co-containing block metallopolymers. Moreover, the preparation of elastic magnetic hydrogels is also presented through the low temperature thermolysis (120 degrees C) and subsequent wetting of Co-containing triblock organometallic copolymers. Future perspectives and challenges in the field are discussed towards the controlled fabrication of MNPs with desired morphology, size and properties.