Published in Chemistry World, 19 Jul 2011
Researchers in Japan and Singapore have created a sponge that can wring itself out upon application of a magnetic field. The sponge, which is based on a network of nanomagnets, could be used as a capsule that delivers drugs to specific parts of the human body.
First developed in the late 1990s, magnetic sponges consist of nanoparticles linked up by spring-like molecules. When the sponges absorb water they expand, and their overall magnetic properties change. As a result, they have been touted for use as sensors that can sensitively detect the presence of water. […]
The rest of this article is available here.