Near-field magnetostatics and Néel-Brownian interactions mediated magneto-rheological characteristics of highly stable nano-ferrocolloids.

Magnetic nanocolloids consisting of synthesized superparamagnetic iron(II,III) oxide nanoparticles (SPION) (5-15 nm) dispersed in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and a nano-silica complex have been synthesized. The PEG-nano-silica complex physically encapsulates the SPIONs, ensuring that there is no phase separation under high magnetic fields (∼1.2 T). Exhaustive magneto-rheological investigations have been performed to understand the structural behavior and response of the ferrocolloids. Remarkable stability and reversibility have been observed under magnetic field for concentrated systems. The results show the impact of particle concentration, size and encapsulation efficiency on parameters such as shear viscosity, yield stress, viscoelastic moduli, magneto-viscous hysteresis, and so on. Analytical models to reveal the system mechanism and mathematically predict the magneto-viscosity and magneto-yield stress have been developed. The mechanistic approach based on near-field magnetostatics and Néel-Brownian interactivities could predict the colloidal properties under the effect of the magnetic field accurately. The colloid exhibits amplified storage and loss moduli together with a highly augmented linear viscoelastic region under magnetic stimuli. The transition of the colloidal state from the fluidic phase to the soft condensed phase and its viscoelastic stimuli under the influence of a magnetic field has been explained based on the mathematical analysis. The remarkable stability, magnetic properties and accurate physical models reveal promise for the colloids in transient situations, namely, magneto-microelectromechanical/nanoelectromechanical devices, anti-seismic damping, biomedical invasive treatments, and so on.