Miniemulsion Synthesis of Metal-Oxo Cluster Containing Copolymer Nanobeads

Hybrid nanobeads containing either a manganese-oxo or manganese-iron-oxo cluster have been prepared via the miniemulsion polymerization technique. Two new ligand substituted oxo clusters, Mn12O12(VBA)(16)(H2O)(4) and Mn8Fe4O12(VBA)(16)(H2O)(4) (where VBA = 4-vinylbenzoate), have been prepared and characterized. Polymerization of the functionalized metal-oxo clusters with styrene under miniemulsion conditions produced monodispersed polymer nanoparticles as small as similar to 60 nm in diameter. The metal-oxo polymer nanobeads were fully characterized in terms of synthetic parameters, composition, structure, and magnetic properties.