Influence of magnetic casting on the permeability and anti-fouling properties of a novel iron oxide/alumina/polysulfone mixed matrix membrane

Novel mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated using Fe₃O₄, and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles (NPs) were added to the polysulfone (PSf) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) solution. The nanocomposite membranes were fabricated using the NIPS (non-solvent induced phase separation) method. In order to create preferential permeation pathways for water across the MMMs, membrane formation is accomplished with an external magnetic field. Using magnetic casting cause the targeted placement of NPs in the best location and orientation. The performance of the prepared membranes was examined in terms of pure water flux and fouling parameters. Magnetic casting considerably increased pure water flux and decreased the total resistance of the optimum mixed matrix membrane, which contains 0.2% wt. of Fe₃O₄ NPs to 1175 L/m²h and 13.4 * 10¹¹ (m⁻¹), respectively. This is explained by the ordering of magnetic nanoparticles on the membrane sub-layer cast under the magnetic field of 500 mT, which changed the sub-layer structure. Less rough membrane surface of the mixed matrix membranes offered preferable anti-fouling properties against fouling by BSA proteins. The characterization of fabricated membranes was carried out using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and water contact angle measurement methods.     

Retention of Pb(II) by a Low-Cost Magnetic Composite Prepared by Environmentally-Friendly Plasma Technique

A low-cost magnetic composite (gelatin/Fe₃O₄) is prepared by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles treated with gelatin using an environmentally-friendly plasma technique, and is applied for the removal of toxic Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Not only that it originates from cheap and abundant raw materials, the gelatin/Fe₃O₄ composite also has advantages in convenient magnetic separation from aqueous solution, which can hopefully reduce water treatment expenses. The batch experimenta results indicate that the maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) of Pb(II) on this gelatin/Fe₃O₄ composite is ～115 mg/g, higher than most of the other bare and modified magnetic materials, which is considered to be attributed to the strong interaction between Pb(II) and the abundant functional groups introduced by gelatin. When exposed to acidic solutions, the dissolution of the gelatin/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is minimal due to the protective character of the grafted gelatin layer on the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The utilization of the plasma technique in the synthesis of magnetic composite agrees well with the tenet of green chemistry. It is promising that this gelatin/Fe₃O₄ composite would become an efficient and economic material for heavy metal ion removal in the practical environmental remediation.     

Template synthesis and magnetic response of polyaniline/Fe3O4 composite microtubes

Template synthesis technique was employed to prepare magnetic polyaniline (PANI)/Fe₃O₄ composite microtubes using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as template. Magnetic microtubes were obtained through in situ polymerization of aniline in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the microchannels of template. A tubular structure was formed once when aniline was preferentially adsorbed and polymerized on the surface of channels wall. Electron microscope images demonstrated that the shape and size of guest (PANI/Fe₃O₄ composite microtubes) were strictly depended on those of the host (template channels). Magnetic force microscopy images showed that the PANI/Fe₃O₄ composite microtubes possessed reasonable magnetism and the magnetism distribution of microtubes was regular as distribution of template channels. Moreover, the magnetic response and oriented arrangement of PANI/Fe₃O₄ microtubes were fulfilled in the magnetic field. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation and sedimentation behavior of conductive polymeric nanoparticles

A facile route to prepare Fe₃O₄/polypyrrole (PPY) core-shell magnetic nanoparticles was developed. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were first prepared by a chemical co-precipitation method, and then Fe₃O₄/PPY coreshell magnetic composite nanoparticles were prepared by in-situ polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and laser particle size analyzer. The images indicate that the size of Fe₃O₄ particles is about 10 nanometers, and the particles are completely covered by PPY. The Fe₃O₄/PPY core-shell magnetic composite nanoparticles are about 100 nanometers and there are several Fe₃O₄ particles in one composite nanoparticle. The yield of the composite nanoparticles was about 50%. The sedimentation behavior of Fe₃O₄/PPY core-shell magnetic nanoparticles in electrolyte and soluble polymer solutions was characterized. The experimental results indicate that the sedimentation of particles can be controlled by adjusting electrolyte concentration, solvable polymers and by applying a foreign field. This result is useful in preparing gradient materials and improving the stability of suspensions.     

In situ preparation of magnetic Fe3O4.Cu2O.Fe3O4/cryogel nanocomposite powder via a reduction–coprecipitation method as adsorbent for methylene blue water pollutant

Magnetic nanocomposites have attracted great attention as adsorbents for the removal of water pollutants, which respond to an external magnet that is used to remove both pollutants and composite nanomaterial traces from water. They are environmentally friendly and effective adsorbents for water treatment. In this respect, a simple in situ preparation method was used to prepare cryogel powder composite based on Fe₃O₄.Cu₂O.Fe₃O₄ nanomaterials. The ionic cryogel based on 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonate sodium salt and styrene sulfonate sodium salt was prepared by crosslinking polymerization at low temperature. The new magnetic nanoparticles based on Fe₃O₄.Cu₂O.Fe₃O₄ were successfully prepared inside the cryogel networks by a simple reduction–coprecipitation method based on reaction of Fe³⁺ with sodium sulfite and Cu²⁺ in the presence of hydroxylamine and ammonia solution. The thermal stability, accurate Fe₃O₄.Cu₂O.Fe₃O₄ content, magnetic properties, crystal lattice structure, particle sizes and morphology of the prepared cryogel composite were evaluated. The optimum conditions such as pH, contact time, adsorbate concentrations, adsorption equilibrium and adsorption kinetics were investigated to determine the efficiency of the prepared composite as an adsorbent to remove toxic methylene blue (MB) pollutant from aqueous solution. The data for MB adsorption confirmed the high ability of the prepared composite to remove more than 4.696 mmol L^?1 of MB from water during 6 min. The regeneration and reuse experiments showed excellent data for the synthesized new dye as an effective adsorbent for water treatment. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Single step modification of micrometer-sized polystyrene particles by electromagnetic polyaniline and sorption of chromium(VI) metal ions from water

This article describes a single-step reproducible approach for the surface modification of micrometer-sized polystyrene (PS) core particles to prepare electromagnetic PS/polyaniline–Fe₃O₄ (PS/PANi–Fe₃O₄) composite particles. The electromagnetic PANi–Fe₃O₄ shell was formed by simultaneous seeded chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline and precipitation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The weight ratio of PS to aniline was optimized to produce core–shell structure. PS/PANi–Fe₃O₄ composite particles were used as adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) via anion-exchange mechanism. The composite particles possessed enough magnetic property for magnetic separation. The adsorption was highly pH dependent. Adsorption efficiency reached 100% at pH 2 in 120 min when 0.05 g of composite particles was mixed with 30 mL 5 mg L⁻¹ Cr(VI) solution. The adsorption isotherm fitted best with Freundlich model and maximum adsorption capacity approached 20.289 mg g⁻¹ at 323 K. The prepared composite was found to be an useful adsorbent for the removal of soluble Cr(VI) ions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47524.     

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Water Treatment by Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 Core-Shell Nano-Photocatalyst

In the present work, Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ nano-photocatalyst with a core-shell structure was successfully used for the removal of Methylene Blue (MB) as a model organic pollutant from water. The resultant nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda method. Response surface methodology (Box–Behnken approach) was applied to optimize the removal of MB from water. This optimization was used to evaluate the effect of experimental variables and their interaction in achieving the optimum conditions in removal of MB from water which was measured via UV-visible spectroscopy. The optimum conditions were found to be at Si/Fe₃O₄ wt% = 17.35%, Ti/Fe₃O₄ wt% = 50.17%, and calcination temperature = 392°C with a 91.1% removal efficiency. Finally, a model was established and the predicted results from the model fitted well with the experimental values indicating that the optimization was successful.     

Ultrasonically initiated miniemulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Ultrasonically initiated miniemulsion polymerization of styrene was conducted in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Stable polystyrene (PS)/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite emulsions were prepared and magnetic PS/Fe₃O₄ composite particles were obtained through magnetic separation. The whole procedure comprised two steps. First, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were dispersed in the monomer phase with the aid of stabilizer Span‐80. Second, miniemulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was carried out under an ultrasonic field in the absence of a chemical initiator. The affecting factors, including stabilizer concentration, surfactant concentration, hexadecane concentration and the amount of Fe₃O₄, were systematically studied. Stabilizer concentration, surfactant concentration and hexadecane concentration strongly affected the formation of the coagulation. The least amount of coagulation was formed at 2.5 wt% Span‐80 concentration. The addition of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles drastically increased the polymerization rate owing to the fact that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles increased the acoustic intensity and Fe²⁺ reacted with H₂O₂ to produce hydroxyl radicals and increase the number of radicals. The increase in cosurfactant concentration and power output also increased the polymerization rate. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of the mass ratio of Fe3O4/PAA on separation properties and the extractive amount of Fe3O4 during the formation of Fe3O4‐PES ultrafiltration membranes

A series of Fe₃O₄‐PES ultrafiltration membranes with different mass ratios of Fe₃O₄ and PAA were prepared from suspensions, using the phase inversion process. The suspensions consisted of polyether sulfone (PES), dimethyl formamide, polyacrylic acid (PAA), and ferrosoferric oxide (Fe₃O₄). The separation properties of ultrafiltration membranes with different Fe₃O₄/PAA mass ratio were investigated by a cross‐flow experimental system. The Fe₃O₄/PAA mass ratio had little effect on the rejection of membranes to BSA. However, the pure water flux had a slight decline and then rised rapidly with the increase of Fe₃O₄/PAA mass ratio. An interesting phenomenon observed was that the Fe₃O₄ particles could diffuse into the nonsolvent bath during the formation of membrane, and the amount of Fe₃O₄ extracted into the nonsolvent bath nearly kept a constant mass ratio to PAA, even if the Fe₃O₄/PAA proportion was changed. The reasons of this interesting phenomenon were investigated. This result indicates that modified inorganic fillers may be used as the pore‐forming agent to prepare the porous membranes like the template leaching method. At the same time, this method does not use any strong acid or base. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Preparation and characterization of polyvinyl chloride based nanocomposite nanofiltration-membrane modified by iron oxide nanoparticles for lead removal from water

In this research (polyvinyl chloride-blend-cellulose acetate/iron oxide nanoparticles) nanocomposite membranes were prepared by casting technique to lead removal from wastewaters. The effect of blend ratio of polymer binder (PVC to CA) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles concentration on physico-chemical characteristics of membranes were studied. Water permeability and ionic rejection tests, water content and mechanical properties measurements and SEM analysis were carried out in membranes characterizations. Obviously, modified membrane containing 10 wt% CA and 0.1 wt% Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles showed better performance in lead removal compared to other modified membranes and also pristine ones.     

Chitosan- and dehydroascorbic acid-coated Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles: preparation,characterization and their potential as draw solute in forward osmosis process

Forward osmosis (FO) is a natural osmosis process that has attracted a significant attention due to its many advantages. However, the development of FO process depends on the development of proper draw solutions. In this work, chitosan (CS)-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA)-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method and their performance as draw solutes was investigated for application in FO systems. CS and DHAA could improve the surface hydrophilicity of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) which the results presented a small size, crystalline morphology and high magnetization value for their structure as well as a good dispersion in water. Cellulose triacetate/cellulose acetate (CTA/CA)-based membranes were also prepared by immersion precipitation and used as FO membranes. The synthesized FO membranes were characterized by FESEM. The performance evaluation of synthesized nanoparticles revealed that the water flux of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles capped with DHAA was higher than that of the chitosan-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. At the end of the process, the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were easily separated from the diluted draw solution by applying the magnetic field.     

Effect of surface modification of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles on the preparation of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/polystyrene composite particles via miniemulsion polymerization

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were modified by n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18TMS) and 3-trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate (MPS). The modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were used to prepare Fe₃O₄/polystyrene composite particles by miniemulsion polymerization. The effect of surface modification of Fe₃O₄ on the preparation of Fe₃O₄/polystyrene composite particles was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR), contact angle, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It was found that C18TMS modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with high hydrophobic property lead to the negative effect on the preparation of the Fe₃O₄/polystyrene composite particles. The obtained composite particles exhibited asymmetric phase-separated structure and wide size distribution. Furthermore, un-encapsulated Fe₃O₄ were found in composite particles solution. MPS modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles showed poor hydrophobic properties and resulted in the obtained Fe₃O₄/polystyrene composite particles with regular morphology and narrow size distribution because the ended C=C of MPS on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles could copolymerize with styrene which weakened the phase separation distinctly.     

Magnetite/graphene/polyaniline composite for removal of aqueous hexavalent chromium

Here, we report the synthesis of Fe₃O₄/G/PANI composite containing magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄), graphene sheets (G), and polyaniline (PANI) via chemical route for removal of toxic Cr (VI) from water. TEM image shows the formation of uniformly distributed magnetite nanoparticles on graphene/PANI composite. HRTEM images shows the formation of crystalline magnetite nanoparticles showing lattice fringes with inter‐planner distance 0.21 nm. The magnetic measurement shows magnetization 22 emu/g and ferromagnetic property of the adsorbent. The equilibrium adsorptions were well‐described by the Langmuir isotherm model and shows maximum adsorption capacity 153.54 mg/g at pH 6.5 and temperature 30 °C. The kinetics data well fitted by pseudo‐second‐order model and around 86% Cr (VI) removal completed within 20 min. The Cr (VI) removal capacitive decreases with increase in pH and ionic strength. The adsorbent shows leaching of iron nanoparticles at pH 1 whereas stable in solution having pH 2 and more. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44002.     

Influence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles decoration on dye adsorption and magnetic separation properties of Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposites

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were prepared by solvothermal method and its composites with reduced graphene oxide namely FG1, FG2, and FG3 (changing magnetite precursor loading 0.1, 0.5, and 1 respectively) were used as adsorbents for the removal of methyl violet (MV) dye. The structural and morphological results confirm that rGO sheets were decorated with Fe₃O₄ and it ensures the variation of active sites toward dye removal property. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained for FG2 was 196 mg/g. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics better fit Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic model for FG1 and FG2. Increasing of Fe₃O₄ loading on rGO reduces the dye adsorption sites and too low Fe₃O₄ loading affects the magnetic separation. The optimal loading of Fe₃O₄ on rGO is important parameter for the adsorption process and fast separation of adsorbent.     

In-situ grown Ag on magnetic halloysite nanotubes in scaffolds: Antibacterial,biocompatibility and mechanical properties

A novel design of antibacterial and magnetic halloysite nanotubes loaded with Ag and Fe₃O₄ was reported. In detail, magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) were immobilized on the surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) via electrostatic adsorption (termed as HNTs/Fe₃O₄). The magnetic HNTs/Fe₃O₄ was then modified by polydopamine to in-situ grow Ag nanoparticles by a redox reaction, forming a composite nanostructure of HNTs/Fe₃O₄@Ag. The HNTs/Fe₃O₄@Ag was incorporated into poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold fabricated via selective laser sintering, with the intent to endow the scaffold with robust antibacterial function and favorable cell activity. The results showed that the released Ag⁺ from the scaffold significantly against E. coli activity, with bacterial inhibition rate above 99%. Moreover, ion release behavior showed a scaffold enable to sustain release Ag⁺ over 28 days. Furthermore, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles constructed magnetic microenvironment greatly enhanced cell activity and promoted cell proliferation. In addition, tensile strength of the scaffold increased by 52.9% compared with PLLA scaffold. These positive results suggested that the HNTs/Fe₃O₄@Ag nanostructure possessed potential in facilitating bone repair.     

Electromagnetic properties of electrospun Fe3O4/carbon composite nanofibers

In order to develop multifunctional nanofibers, the electrical conductivity and magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄/carbon composite nanofibers have been examined. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is used as a matrix to produce magnetic composite nanofibers containing different amounts of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles. Electrospun composite nanofibers were thermally treated to produce electrically conductive and magnetically permeable composite carbon nanofibers. The composite nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, four-point probe and Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). Uniform nanofibers were obtained with successful transferring of magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄ into the as-spun composite nanofibers. The electromagnetic properties were tuned by adjusting the amount of Fe₃O₄ in the matrix and carbonization process. The electrical conductivity, magnetic moment and also magnetic hysteresis rise up by adding Fe₃O₄ and increasing carbonization temperature. The high surface area provided by the ultrafine fibrous structures, the flexibility and tuneable electromagnetic properties are expected to enable the expansion of the design options for a wide rage of electronic devices.     

The synthesis and characterization of monodispersed chitosan-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles via a facile one-step solvothermal process for adsorption of bovine serum albumin

Preparation of magnetic nanoparticles coated with chitosan (CS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs) in one step by the solvothermal method in the presence of different amounts of added chitosan is reported here. The magnetic property of the obtained magnetic composite nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements (VSM). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) allowed the identification of spherical nanoparticles with about 150 nm in average diameter. Characterization of the products by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that CS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs were obtained. Chitosan content in the obtained nanocomposites was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The adsorption properties of the CS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs for bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated under different concentrations of BSA. Compared with naked Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, the CS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs showed a higher BSA adsorption capacity (96.5 mg/g) and a fast adsorption rate (45 min) in aqueous solutions. This work demonstrates that the prepared magnetic nanoparticles have promising applications in enzyme and protein immobilization.     

Interforce initiated by magnetic nanoparticles for reducing internal concentration polarization in CTA forward osmosis membrane

The interforce between the magnetic composite forward osmosis (FO) membranes and the magnetic draw solution was proposed to reduce the internal concentration polarization (ICP) of FO process, and realized the synergetic permeability improvement of resultant FO membranes. The key factor was the successful fabrication of the Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with small‐size and narrow distribution via co‐precipitation method. The cellulose triacetate (CTA) magnetic composite FO membranes were fabricated using Fe₃O₄ as additive via in situ interfacial polymerization, and named CTA‐Fe₃O₄. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta results showed that the coated sodium oleate on the MNPs explained their reducing aggregation and the stability of various pHs. The MNPs' surface segregation during demixing process resulted in the improvement of hydrophilicity, Fe content and roughness of resultant CTA‐Fe₃O₄ composite FO membranes. Furthermore, the in situ interfacial polymerization resulted in the formation of the polyamide selective layer, and the CTA‐Fe₃O₄ membrane's N content was 11.02% to 11.12%. The permeability properties (FO and pressure retarded osmosis modules) were characterized using 1.0M NaCl and 100 mg/L Fe₃O₄ as draw solutions, respectively. The results indicated that the higher concentration of MNPs supplied more interforce and better FO permeability properties. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44852.     

Performance of magnetically recoverable core–shell Fe3O4@Ag3PO4/AgCl for photocatalytic removal of methylene blue under simulated solar light

A novel magnetically recoverable core–shell Fe₃O₄@Ag₃PO₄/AgCl photocatalyst exhibiting rapid magnetic separation, stability and high photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light has been developed. Briefly, Ag₃PO₄ is immobilized on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and then an AgCl shell is formed by in situ ion exchange. The complete degradation of the methylene blue (MB) over the Fe₃O₄@Ag₃PO₄/AgCl photocatalyst only took about 60 min, much faster than WO₃–Pd photocatalyst. Fe₃O₄@Ag₃PO₄/AgCl nanocomposites can be easily recovered by a magnet, and reused at least five times without any appreciable reduction in photocatalytic efficiency.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(styrene-co-fluorescein O-methacrylate)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Fe3O4 core/shell composite particles

We demonstrate the synthesis and characteristics of multifunctional poly(styrene-co-fluorescein O-methacrylate)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Fe₃O₄ [P(St/FMA)/PNIPAAm-Fe₃O₄] core/shell composite particles, in which the core consists of fluorescent materials and the shell consists of magnetic and thermo-responsive components. First, core/shell particles consisting of a fluorescent P(St/FMA) core and thermo-responsive PNIPAAm-rich shell were prepared by two-stage shot-growth emulsion polymerization. Next, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were immobilized via electrostatic interactions and then covalently linked to the shell via surface coordinated Aphen by a coupling reaction in order to obtain magnetic properties. The morphology of P(St/FMA)/PNIPAAm-Fe₃O₄ composite particles, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), reveals that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are located in the PNIPAAm shell. The thermo-sensitivity of composite particles to hydrodynamic diameter was confirmed by using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicate that the fluorescence emission intensity of core/shell particles is highly sensitive to the pH of an aqueous medium. The core/shell composite particles exhibited a combination of fluorescent, magnetic, pH and thermo-responsive behavior.