Structural and magnetic characterization of norbornene–deuterated norbornene dicarboxylic acid diblock copolymers doped with iron oxide nanoparticles

A series of iron oxide doped norbornene (NOR)/deuterated norbornene dicarboxylic acid (NORCOOH) diblock copolymers were synthesized and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) experiments. γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized within the microdomains of diblock copolymers with volume fractions of NOR/NORCOOH 0.64/0.36, 0.50/0.50 and 0.40/0.60. A spherical nanoparticle morphology was displayed in the polymer with 0.64/0.36 volume fraction. Polymers with 0.50/0.50 and 0.40/0.60 volume fractions exhibited interconnected metal oxide nanostructures. The observed changes in the shape and peak positions of the small-angle neutron scattering profiles of polymers after metal doping were related to the scattering from the metal oxide particles and to the possible deformed morphologies due to the strong interparticle interactions between metal particles, which may influence the polymer microphase separation. The combined scattering from both polymer domains and magnetic particles was depicted in SANS profiles of metal oxide doped polymers. γ-Fe2O3 containing block copolymers were superparamagnetic at room temperature. An increase in the blocking temperature (Tb) of interconnected nanoparticles was observed and was related to the interparticle interactions, which depends on the average distance (d) between particles and individual particle diameter (2R). The sample with volume fraction of 0.4/0.6 have the lowest d/(2R) ratio and exhibit the highest Tb at 115 K.