Cobalt iron oxide (CoFe₂O₄) reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based magnetoactive polymer nanocomposites for remote actuation

Magnetoactive polymer composites (MAPCs) are materials composed of a polymer matrix embedded with magnetic particles that mechanically respond to external magnetic fields. MAPCs can be programmed to be adjusted remotely without physical interventions using a magnetic field to generate the desired response; therefore, MAPCs are being actively explored for their applications in remote sensing, soft robotics, electronics, and biomedical areas. In this work, novel MAPCs were synthesised comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the matrix and cobalt iron oxide (CoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles as the magnetic component with varying concentrations (i.e., 1.25%, 2.5%, and 5%). MAPCs were synthesised using the solution casting technique, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed the successful integration of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles within the polymer matrix. The synthesised MAPC films were also characterised for their chemical, thermal, magnetic, and biological properties. The incorporation of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles resulted in an improved magnetic and biological response, with improvements in these properties with increasing CoFe₂O₄ content. However, PVA/5% CoFe₂O₄ revealed toxicity and requires further investigation of using these materials with higher CoFe₂O₄ concentrations. The magnetic response and biological properties of the PVA/CoFe₂O₄ MAPCs revealed their potential uses for remote actuation and sensing in the biomedical sector.