Layer-by-layer assembled iron oxide based polymeric nanocomposites

Hybrid nanocomposites are nowadays the focus of intensive scientific and industrial research motivated by expectations from fields as diverse as microelectronics and medicine. One of the challenges faced by these materials, before getting into applications, is the development of methodologies capable of processing them in the form of thin planar nanostructures. To achieve this, bottom-up manipulation, such as the layer-by-layer approach capable of growing nano-objects while controlling position and inter-particle distances, has made possible the construction of assemblies with properties tailored on the nanoscale level. This review will summarize the new initiatives taken in the area of colloidal iron oxide nanoparticles and their arrays in polymeric matrix employing the layer-by-layer technique related research. Aiming to understand fundamental issues such as the effect of nanocomposite morphology on the collective magnetic properties, experiments and simulations performed to assess both the nanocomposite's morphology and the corresponding magnetic signatures, will be discussed. Applications leading to future developments related with these nanostructures, as for instance chemical sensors and storage devices, will also be highlighted.