Size-Controllable Synthesis of Monodisperse Magnetite Microparticles Leading to Magnetically Tunable Colloidal Crystals

Colloidal crystals (CCs) are periodic arrays of monodisperse microparticles. Such CCs are very attractive as they can be potentially applicable as versatile photonic devices such as reflective displays, sensors, lasers, and so forth. In this article, we describe a promising methodology for synthesizing monodisperse magnetite microparticles whose diameters are controllable in the range of 100–200 nm only by adjusting the base concentration of the reaction solution. Moreover, monodisperse magnetite microparticles in aqueous suspensions spontaneously form the CC structures under an external magnetic field, leading to the appearance of Bragg reflection colors. The reflection peak can be blue-shifted from 730 nm to 570 nm by the increase in the external magnetic field from 28 mT to 220 mT. Moreover, the reflection properties of CCs in suspension depend on the microparticle concentration in suspension and the diameter of the magnetite microparticles. Both fine-control of microparticle diameter and investigation of magneto-optical properties of CCs would contribute to the technological developments in full-color reflective displays and sensors by utilizing these monodisperse magnetite microparticles.