Magnetic Nanocomposites Built by Controlled Incorporation of Magnetic Clusters into Mesoporous Silicates

Nanomagnets have been created by the incorporation of magnetic clusters into mesoporous silica. It is shown that, for a given cluster, the pore size has a strong influence on the degree of incorporation. Furthermore, the incorporation of these nanoclusters into three-dimensional organized mesoporous silica ensures that the integrity of the host phase as well as that of the incorporated clusters is maintained. This high degree of stability opens new perspectives for the organization of nanomagnets into mesoporous silica layers or as monolayers on silica surfaces.