Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) magnetic particles via miniemulsion polymerization

Magnetic particles are very important systems with potential use in drug delivery systems, ferrofluids, and effluent treatment. In many situations, such as in biomedical applications, it is necessary to cover inorganic magnetic particles with an organic material, such as polymers. In this work, latices based on magnetite covered by poly(ethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) were obtained via miniemulsion polymerization. The resultant latices had particles in the nanometric range and presented a pronounced superparamagnetic behavior.