Magnetic and Thermal Properties of Novel Poly(ether-amide)/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite Containing Phosphine Oxide Group

New poly(ether-amide) nanocomposite containing phosphine oxide was prepared via solution polymerization process from synthesized poly(ether-amide) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in a solution of N,N-dimethylformamide. Uniform monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature via a facile sonochemical reaction. Poly(ether-amide) (PEA) as the polymer matrix was synthesized from reaction of 1,4-(4-carboxy phenoxy)butane (1) and bis(3-amino phenyl)phenyl phosphine oxide (2) via a direct polycondensation reaction. Nanoparticle and nanocomposite were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared. The effect of the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the thermal properties of PEA was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmospheres. The magnetic properties of the sample were also investigated using an alternating gradient force magnetometer. We found that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit a ferromagnetic behaviour with a saturation magnetization of 59 emu/g and a coercivity of 104 Oe at room temperature. The coercivity of PEA/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites is found to be 126 Oe, higher than 104 Oe which is obtained for Fe₃O₄.