Structural and magnetic properties of nanoscale iron oxide particles synthesized in the presence of dextran or polyvinyl alcohol

Magnetite/maghemite nanoparticles were synthesized in the presence of either dextran or polyvinyl alcohol, yielding cluster- and necklace-like aggregates, respectively. Magnetization, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and microscopy measurements indicate that the arrangement of the particles within the aggregates affects the magnetic properties of the particles resulting in smaller particles in the clusters having higher superparamagnetic blocking temperatures than larger particles in the necklaces.