Speaker
Description
The main objective of this work is to analyze the structural properties of cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles using the Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) technique, which involves neutron scattering at small angles, and to subsequently model and fit the experimental data. A key part of the research was carried out in September 2025 at the Institut Laue–Langevin (ILL) research center in Grenoble, at the D33 instrument. The study utilizes pre-prepared samples of magnetic nanoparticles with different shape morphologies, magnetic properties, and surface modifications using organic ligands (e.g., oleic acid, polyacrylic acid). The SANS method was chosen as a suitable tool for studying the surface layers of magnetic nanoparticles, particularly organic coatings composed of elements with low atomic numbers, such as carbon and hydrogen, which are difficult to distinguish using X-ray or electron-based techniques. During the experiment, the measurement conditions were systematically varied in order to optimize contrast, especially by replacing water and toluene with their deuterated equivalents, as well as by using different sample forms—both powder and dispersed in solvents such as toluene and water. The obtained experimental data were subsequently analyzed using appropriate models, with emphasis placed on the selection of parameters for the most accurate fitting of the model to the experimental data. The modeling enabled the extraction of detailed information about the size, shape, and internal core–shell structure of the magnetic nanoparticles, as well as the nature of their surface layer. The results of this work contribute to a better understanding of the structural properties of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles and provide a basis for optimizing their properties for potential applications in biomedicine, such as magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic hyperthermia, and targeted drug delivery.
