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Abstract
Currently known ferromagnetic ferrofluids (FFs), or liquid magnets, are typically composed of permanently magnetic barium hexaferrite nanoplatelets (BHF NPLs) dispersed in 1-butanol, where colloidal stability is achieved through electrostatic repulsion. Here, we report the development of an environmentally friendly, water-based ferromagnetic ferrofluid, in which magnetic dipolar attractions are effectively suppressed by a synergistic combination of electrostatic, steric, and hydration repulsion. We further demonstrate that stable ferromagnetic ferrofluids can also be realized in low-polarity organic solvents such as dichloromethane (DCM) and 1-hexanol, relying solely on sufficient steric–solvation repulsion—without the need for long-range electrostatic repulsion. These different types of ferromagnetic FFs offer a promising platform for tubeless microfluidic pumping in diverse chemical systems.
Supplementary materials
Title
Ferromagnetic Ferrofluids in Aqueous and Low-Polar Media
Description
The Supporting Information provides additional experimental details and extended data that support and clarify the findings presented in the main article. It includes supplementary characterization of the materials, such as TEM images, size distribution analysis, EDXS spectra, VSM magnetization measurements, and additional POM images.
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