Small-angle neutron scattering analysis of a water-based magnetic fluid with charge stabilization: contrast variation and scattering of polarized neutrons

Structure analysis of a magnetic fluid (nanoparticles of maghemite dispersed in water with charge stabilization and without surfactant) by means of small-angle neutron scattering is presented. A combination of the contrast variation technique and scattering of polarized neutrons was applied. In the first case, the scattering curves obtained for the unmagnetized fluid with variation of the heavy water content in the carrier are treated in terms of the basic functions approach. The almost homogeneous character of the nanoparticles with respect to the nuclear scattering length density makes it possible to separate information about their characteristic nuclear and magnetic radii. Polarized neutrons are then used to separate and analyze independently the nuclear and magnetic scattering contributions for the fully magnetized fluid. Both methods reveal a significant excess of the apparent nuclear size over the magnetic one, which is explained by a difference in the nonmagnetic and magnetic interactions in the system. The results indicate that from the viewpoint of magnetic interaction the studied fluid behaves under a magnetic field as a purely superparamagnetic system of independent particles. The magnetic scattering length density of the maghemite nanoparticles is found to be similar to 25% less than the bulk value, which is in agreement with the data of the magnetization analysis.