Magnetic filaments for anisotropic composite polymers

Abstract The use of contactless magnetic forces meets numerous needs in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or microfluidic devices. In this view, heterogeneous materials integrating magnetic nanostructures within a non-magnetic matrix such as polymer can produce local variations of magnetic field, at the sub-micrometer scale. Here we report on the synthesis of magnetic composites using electrospun nanofilaments and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. Varying the precursor nature and heat treatment conditions, we obtained single phase filaments of Fe, FeNi, and MFe ₂ O ₄ (M = Co, Fe, Ni). Thanks to a fine investigation of their structure and morphology, it was possible to measure from magnetically-soft (µ ₀ H _C ⩽ 5 mT) to relatively hard (µ ₀ H _C up to 93 mT, M _R /M _S up to 0.5) behaviors. The common one-dimensional shape of these filaments leads to an anisotropic magnetic response. This can be exploited to achieve self-organization of the filaments in arrays within the non-magnetic matrix. We show the first step towards the development of magnetically anisotropic membranes of PDMS with 0.23 wt% Fe filaments. These composite materials are promising for implementing magnetic functions in microsystems while circumventing complex micro-fabrication steps.