Nanoparticle magnetism is a subject of much fundamental and technological interest, with many unresolved questions about the nature of intraparticle and interparticle interactions. This project will probe these issues through novel polarized small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments of magnetic oxide nanoparticles. The nanoparticles will be synthesized using solution chemistry methods that have sensitive control of particle size, separation, and composition. The PI and her undergraduate students will use polarized SANS and related methods to determine core and shell spin arrangements, interparticle magnetic correlation lengths, and connections between these and the more macroscopic behavior evident in applications. The work will yield quantitative data on nanoparticle structures, information difficult to obtain through other approaches. A broader impact of this research centers on its emphasis on helping develop advanced techniques, particularly significant given recent improvements in US neutron scattering facilities. This award will support research at an undergraduate institution and as such, will lead to the training of undergraduate students in these important methods.
Magnetic nanoparticles are tiny magnets which can be used for computer data storage, targeted drug delivery, and a host of other applications. For these different uses, it is important to characterize the way in which the individual magnetic components align and interact. This award will support the study of magnetic oxide nanoparticles using advanced neutron scattering techniques that the PI and her undergraduate students are helping to develop in collaboration with researchers at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. The nanoparticles will be synthesized using solution chemistry methods that allow for sensitive control of particle size, separation, and composition. The samples will be investigated with polarized small-angle neutron scattering to yield quantitative data on nanoparticle structures that are difficult to obtain through other methods. A broader impact of this research involves its emphasis on helping develop advanced techniques, particularly significant given recent improvements in US neutron scattering facilities. In addition, this award will support research at an undergraduate institution and as such, will lead to the training of undergraduate students in these important methods.
