Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Self-Supported Flexible Glasses With Magnetic Properties

Researchers at the University of Lisbon have successfully developed self-supported flexible glasses with magnetic properties, opening up new possibilities for various applications, including catalysis, chemicals, biological sensors, and pharmaceuticals. This achievement was made possible through the use of different hybrid silica precursors and the incorporation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The resulting glass materials exhibit mechanical flexibility and superparamagnetic properties, with a Young's modulus comparable to other recognized flexible materials.

Key Takeaways:

• The research focused on developing self-supported flexible glass materials with magnetic properties produced at normal temperature and pressure (NTP) conditions and air atmosphere.
• The use of hybrid silica precursors and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles enabled the creation of glass materials with magnetic properties.
• The resulting glass materials exhibited mechanical flexibility, with a Young's modulus below 370 MPa, comparable to other recognized flexible materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and lower than Corning Willow Glass.
• The superparamagnetic properties of the iron oxide nanoparticles and the self-supported flexible magnetic glasses were consistently observed at room temperature.
• The research concluded that these results demonstrate the viability of NTP synthesis in air for producing both self-supported flexible glasses and self-supported flexible magnetic glasses.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Ceramics International.
• The study was supported by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT-PT) and the European Union (EU).

Statistics:

• The Young's modulus of the resulting glass materials was below 370 MPa.
• The thickness of the Corning Willow Glass was in the range of 100-200 μm.
• The Young's modulus of the Corning Willow Glass was 78.7 GPa.
• The superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were produced using the co-precipitation method.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Studies from University of Lisbon Have Provided New Data on Nanoparticles (Self-supported Flexible Glasses With Magnetic Properties: Synthesis and Characterization). Nanotechnology Weekly. October 27, 2025; p 1885.
• Ceramics International. Self-supported Flexible Glasses With Magnetic Properties: Synthesis and Characterization. 2025;51(24):42509-42520.