Selective distribution of interacting magnetic nanoparticles into block copolymer domains based on the facile inversion of micelles

We demonstrate a simple methodology to incorporate interacting magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) into cylinder forming block copolymer templates. Poly(styrene-block-isoprene) (PS-b-PI) with PI cylinders and poly(styrene-block-4vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) with PS cylinders were used as the block copolymer templates and γ-Fe₂O₃ NPs coated with oleic acids were pre-synthesized for the interacting mNPs. Regardless of the template block copolymers, the selective location of mNPs and the size of mNP aggregates are clearly altered by changing casting solvents. When good solvents for both blocks were used as casting solvents, mNPs are readily aggregated during the solvent evaporation. In contrast, under selective casting solvents for the minor blocks, the mNPs were selectively trapped into the cylinder domains through the facile inversion of micelles during solvent evaporation. The interplay between mNPs and block copolymers was also tested with different molecular weights of block copolymers.