Experiment Presentation

Magnetic Nanoparticle Synthesis
Rachel Jones and Jonathan Duhon

Background
Created by NASA 1963
A colloidal liquid that becomes strongly magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field
Biomedical- used in aqueous formulations for eye surgery
Electronics- used in advanced computer disk drives of high speed to disallow the
formation of impurities
Target drug delivery for cancer treatment
Properties of Ferrofluids
•Ferrofluids possess the unique property of spiking when exposed to a suitable magnet.
•Must be ~10 nm in diameter so that thermal energy can overcome the magnetic
interactions between particles
•Use of surfactant to prevent aggregation
Synthesis
2FeCl3+FeCl2+8NH3+4H20-->Fe3O4+8NH4Cl
TMAH is a strong base
Surfactant: dipole moment, the polar oxygen

in TMAH (C4H14O)attacks the oxygen in
water and they repel, thus the particles
remain suspended in the vile
Hypotheses
1. Adding too little or too much tetramethylammonium hydroxide might prevent
“spikes” from forming. For further trials, Instead of using 5.9 grams of TMAH,
maybe decrease amount of TMAH used each trial
2. Not removing enough excess ammonia may halt formation of “spikes”
3. Removing excess water may improve quality of spike formation

Materials pt. 1
- (FeCl3) Ferric Chloride (2 g in 3 mL H2O)
- (FeCl2) Ferrous Chloride (2.3 g in 4 mL H2O)
- Ammonia Hydroxide (60 mL)
- Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (3 g in 3 mL H2O)
- Magnetic stirrer
- Separatory Funnel (250 mL+)
- Hot plate
- Beakers (150 mL)
- Graduated Cylinder (10 mL)

Materials pt. 2
Ferric Chloride (FeCl3)
Materials pt. 3
Ferrous Chloride (FeCl2)
Materials pt. 4
TMAH - Strong base and good
Surfactant used to
Clumping of nanoparticles
Materials pt. 5
Waste beaker full of water and ammonia
Procedure Part 1-
Precipitation of Magnetite by Mixing the Iron Salts and Ammonia
1. Set up separatory funnel
2. Fill burette with 60 mL of ammonia
3. Place empty round bottom flask with magnetic stirrer on hotplate
4. Place round bottom flask under burette, turn stirrer about half speed
5. While stirrer is turning, add of ferric chloride solution (black) to flask
6. Add ferrous chloride solution (yellow) to flask
7. While solution is stirring, add the 60 mL of ammonia into the burette and slowly let it drop into the flask (should take 5 minutes)
(color change and precipitate will form)
8. Once all ammonia is added, solution should be black.

Procedure Part 2-
Converting Magnetite Nanoparticles into Magnetic Liquid
1. Remove stirring bar from solution with magnet, and rinse stirring bar with DI water
2. Place magnets under beaker with solution to let precipitate form
3. Pour liquid into a waste beaker to keep precipitate at bottom
4. Once you pour liquid into waste beaker, remove magnets and wash particles inside with DI water to remove ammonia.
Swirl solution for 10 seconds
5. Repeat last step about 3 to 4 times
6. Transfer nanoparticles into glass vile and place magnets under it to let nanoparticles settle
7. Add tetramethylamonium hydroxide solution into vile
8. Stir for 1 minute
9. Let nanoparticles settle by placing magnets under vile

Procedure Part 3 -
Testing FerroFluid Nanoparticles
Place magnet on side of the sample vile. If the consistency and properties are correct, then
the nanoparticles should form spikes due to the magnetic field.
Successful Experimental Data #1
1.)
- 1.5 g of FeCl3 in 14 mL of H2O
- 50 mL of Ammonia Hydroxide
- 3 g TMAH in 5 mL of H2O
(Trial produced spikes, very magnetic substance. Reduce excess water in further trials.)
2.)
- 2 g FeCl3 in 10 mL of H2O
- 2 solutions of 2 g of TMAH in 2 mL of H2O
(Trial produced spikes, extremely magnetic substance. Keep reducing excess water and possibly increase amount of
ammonia hydroxide used in further trials.)

3.)
- 3 g TMAH in 3 mL of H2O
(Increased Ammonia Hydroxide and decreased water seemed to improve spike results. Filtering excess water
improved results as well.)

Future of Ferrofluids?
•Expected to advance in the biomedical field as a medication carrier, and in resonance
imaging.
Sources
http://www.innovateus.net/science/what-ferrofluid
http://ferrofluid.today/pages/what-is-ferrofluid
http://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/background/ferrofluid/

Experiment Presentation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Experiment Presentation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Experiment Presentation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Magnetic Nanoparticle Synthesis

Rachel Jones and Jonathan Duhon

TMAH is a strong base

Surfactant: dipole moment, the polar oxygen

2. Not removing enough excess ammonia may halt formation of “spikes”

3. Removing excess water may improve quality of spike formation

- (FeCl2) Ferrous Chloride (2.3 g in 4 mL H2O)

- Ammonia Hydroxide (60 mL)

- Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (3 g in 3 mL H2O)

- Separatory Funnel (250 mL+)

- Beakers (150 mL)

- Graduated Cylinder (10 mL)

TMAH - Strong base and good

1. Set up separatory funnel

2. Fill burette with 60 mL of ammonia

3. Place empty round bottom flask with magnetic stirrer on hotplate

5. While stirrer is turning, add of ferric chloride solution (black) to flask

6. Add ferrous chloride solution (yellow) to flask

(color change and precipitate will form)

8. Once all ammonia is added, solution should be black.

2. Place magnets under beaker with solution to let precipitate form

3. Pour liquid into a waste beaker to keep precipitate at bottom

Swirl solution for 10 seconds

5. Repeat last step about 3 to 4 times

7. Add tetramethylamonium hydroxide solution into vile

8. Stir for 1 minute

9. Let nanoparticles settle by placing magnets under vile

- 1.5 g of FeCl3 in 14 mL of H2O

- 1.87 g of FeCl2 in 4 mL of H2O

- 2.2 g of FeCl2 in 3 mL of H2O

- 2 solutions of 2 g of TMAH in 2 mL of H2O

ammonia hydroxide used in further trials.)

improved results as well.)

You might also like