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In the brain, iron plays an important role, but also is potentially toxic if iron metabolism is disrupted. Excess iron accumulation in the brain has been shown to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases. However, identification of iron compounds in human tissue is difficult because concentrations are very low. Three types of magnetic methods were used to characterize iron compounds in tumour tissue from epileptic patients. Isothermal Remanent Magnetization (IRM) was measured at 77 K and 300 K and reveals a low-coercivity phase with the properties of magnetite or maghemite. Induced magnetization was measured between 2 K and 300 K after cooling in zero-field and in a 50 mT field. These curves reveal an average blocking temperature of 11 K, which is compatible with ferritin. The results of this study show that the combination of different magnetic methods provides a useful and sensitive tool for the characterisation of magnetic iron compounds in human tissue.

We have examined finely exsolved oxides of the hematite-ilmenite solid-solution series found in slowly cooled middle Proterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks. These oxides impart unusually strong and stable remanent magnetization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis shows multiple generations of ilmenite and hematite exsolution lamellae, with lamellar thicknesses ranging from millimeters to 1-2 nanometers. Rock-magnetic experiments suggest that the remanence is thermally locked to the antiferromagnetism of the hematite component of the intergrowths, yet is stronger than expected for a canted antiferromagnetic hematite or coexisting paramagnetic Fe-Ti- ordered (R 3) ilmenite. In alternating field experiments a stable magnetization is observed in these samples to fields of 100 to 120 mT, indicating that the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is stable over billions of years. This feature has implications for understanding magnetism of deep rocks on Earth, or on planets like Mars that no longer have a magnetic field. Atomic-scale simulations of an (R 3) ilmenite lamella in a hematite host, based on empirical cation-cation and spin-spin pair interaction parameters, show that boundary regions of the lamellae are occupied by "contact layers" with a hybrid composition of Fe ions, intermediate between Fe 2+ -rich layers in ilmenite and Fe 3+ -rich layers in hematite. In this paper we review current data and explore further the nature of the interface.

Highly magnetic metal Co nanoparticles were produced via reducing flame spray pyrolysis, and directly coated with an epoxy polymer in flight. The polymer content in the samples varied between 14 and 56 wt% of nominal content. A homogenous dispersion of Co nanoparticles in the resulting nanocomposites was visualized by electron microscopy. The size and crystallinity of the metallic fillers was not affected by the polymer, as shown by XRD and magnetic hysteresis measurements. The good control of the polymer content in the product nanocomposite was shown by elemental analysis. Further, the successful polymerization in the gas phase was demonstrated by electron microscopy and size measurements. The presented effective, dry and scalable one-step synthesis method for highly magnetic metal nanoparticle/polymer composites presented here may drastically decrease production costs and increase industrial yields.