Facile synthesis of a novel magnetic core-shell hierarchical composite submicrospheres Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH under ambient conditions

Novel magnetic core-shell hierarchical composite submicrospheres Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH were facilely synthesized by coprecipitation of CuNiAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) over the surface of pre-prepared magnetite submicrospheres in both methanol–water and water media under ambient conditions and systematically characterized by SEM/TEM, XRD, ICP, TGA, BET and VSM techniques. The as-fabricated composites possess center-hollowed core-shell hierarchical structure and strong magnetic susceptivity. Particularly, the composite submicrospheres obtained in water present honeycomb-like morphology with thin CuNiAl-LDH nanoplatelets (ca. 100 nm × 21 nm) staggered perpendicularly oriented grown on the surface of Fe3O4 core, affording to a cellular structure resulting in high specific surface area of the Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH composite. The formation mechanism of the Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH submicrospheres is tentatively proposed.

Graphical abstractA hierarchical nanocomposite Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH was rapidly fabricated over center-hollowed Fe3O4 spheres in water at room temperature and the interconnected CuNiAl-LDH thin platelet-like particles vertically oriented to Fe3O4 wall give a honeycomb-like submicrosphere with large surface area and pore volume implying its potential application as catalyst and drug targeting delivery vector along with its strong magnetization.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Facile synthesis of hierarchical core-shell magnetic nanocomposites Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH. ► Staggered CuNiAl-LDH nanoplatelets vertically oriented to center-hollowed Fe3O4 wall. ► Honeycomb-like composite submicrosphere has high surface area and strong magnetism. ► A possible formation mechanism for honeycomb-like Fe3O4@CuNiAl-LDH submicrospheres.