Elsevier, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 7(321), p. 667-670
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2008.11.021
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Mixing in aqueous solutions polyelectrolyte-neutral block copolymers with oppositely charged species, spontaneously forms stable core-shell complexes, which are electrostatically driven. We report here on the structural and orientational properties of such mixed magnetic nanoclusters made of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) and polyelectrolyte-neutral block copolymers. Small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy experiments allows to probe the inner-core nanoparticle organization, leading to an average interparticle distance and confirming the hierarchical internal structure of the clusters. Thanks to the MNP optical anisotropy, we also probe the under-magnetic field orientational properties of the core-shell clusters and their dynamical rotational relaxation.