Aligned Structures of Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles in a Curable Polymer Carrier Induced by a Magnetic Field

To understand the interaction in dipolar systems, it is necessary to investigate the structures formed by the interacting particles. We introduce a polymer acrylic resin carrier to fix the structures in the magnetic fluid (Fe₃O₄). An aligned structure is investigated, which is formed under a magnetic field, and fixed in the cured acrylic resin film by evaporating the solvent at room temperature. The aligned structure is confirmed with the help of optical microscopy and optical diffraction for the cured film. Furthermore, we find substructures by using a scanning electronic microscope. Based on the curable and observable structures, a platform can be developed for investigating the aligned structures and configurations dominant by dipolar interaction. This is also helpful for the development of magnetic devices with orderly aligned structures.