Cobalt-silica magnetic nanoparticles with functional surfaces

Cobalt nanoparticles encased in polysiloxane block copolymers have been heated at 600-700 °C to form protective shells around the particles, which contain crosslinked Si-O structures, and to anneal the cobalt. Methods to functionalize and modify the surfaces of the pyrolyzed/annealed silica-cobalt complexes with amines, isocyanates, poly(ethylene oxide), poly(l-lactide) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are presented.