EXISTENCE, STABILITY AND STRUCTURE OF A HEXAGONAL PHASE DOPED WITH NANOPARTICLES

We describe and study by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) a new typ e of hybrid system. It is composed of a swollen lyotropic hexagonal ph ase into the cylinders of which solid magnetic particles of nanometric size have been incorporated. It has been found to be stable for volum e fractions of particles up to 2% provided the cylinders are sufficien tly large. A unidimensionnal magnetic liquid is thus realized. The str uctural properties of this colloidal assembly have been investigated b y SAXS: and the specific features of the scattering spectra are analys ed and interpreted. One of the remarkable results is the evidence of d epletion interactions between the particles and the inner walls of the cylinders inside which particles are located.