Characterization and Chemical Stability of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Magnetic Nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles can improve the efficiency of phase separation time in multi-stage operations when a magnetic field is present. As such operations involve contact with aqueous and/or organic solutions, hydrophilic magnetic nanoparticles synthesized through the co-precipitation method were functionalized with oleic acid to attain hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles. Both nanoparticles were characterized morphologically, chemically and magnetically. The results revealed that the particles (size ≈ 10 nm) consisted of an iron oxide mixture of magnetite and maghemite. The functionalization with oleic acid was effective in converting them into hydrophobic nanoparticles. Both particles were ferro/ferrimagnetic and the presence of oleic acid did not interfere significantly in the saturation magnetization value. The chemical stability of both nanoparticles were also evaluated, as an attempt of simulating broad industrial conditions to which the nanoparticles may be subjected; the hydrophilic nanoparticles were resistant at pH ≥ 4, while the hydrophobic nanoparticles were stable at pH ≥ 3.