Flexible and Effective Preparation of Magnetic Nanoclusters via One-Step Flow Synthesis

Abstract

Fe3O4 nanoclusters have attractive applications in various areas, due to their outstanding superparamagnetism. In this work, we realized a one-step flow synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoclusters, within minutes, through the sequential and quantitative introduction of reactants and modifier in a microflow system. The enhanced micromixing performance enabled a prompt and uniform supply of the modifier oleic acid (OA) for both nanoparticle modification and nanocluster stabilization to avoid uncontrolled modified nanoparticles aggregation. The size of the nanoclusters could be flexibly tailored in the range of 50–100 nm by adjusting the amount of OA, the pH, and the temperature. This rapid method proved the possibility of large-scale and stable production of magnetic nanoclusters and provided convenience for their applications in broad fields.