Thermal Polymerization on the Surface of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Mediated by Magnetic Hyperthermia: Implications for Multishell Grafting and Environmental Applications

A fast and straightforward strategy for thermopolymerization of polymer shells, at room temperature, at a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) surface under an alternating magnetic field (AMF) is presented. The polymerization is triggered by the local heat generated by the MNPs when exposed to an AMF to polymerize an organic shell around the MNPs by thermoactivation. This synthetic approach provides a versatile strategy for MNP surface polymerization without a macroscopic temperature increase, allowing efficient pathways to magnetically induce single-layer-by-layer polymer shells. This method provides an unprecedented multifunctionnal nanoplatform adapted to pollutant targeting by using a molecularly imprinted polymer layer polymerized at room temperature.