Synthesis of Fe₃O₄@Polyaniline Core/Shell Microspheres with Well-Defined Blackberry-Like Morphology

Abstract

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4@polyaniline core/shell microspheres with well-defined blackberry-like morphology have been synthesized via a simple in situ surface polymerization method. The thickness of the polyaniline (PANI) shell can be selectively obtained by tuning the reaction time and monomer concentration. The poly(vinylpyrroldine) (PVP) plays an important role in the coating process. The present method can be extendable to fabricate other magnetic/conductive core/shell composites, and these unique core/shell spherical materials could find applications in catalyst supports or biomedical areas.