Preparation of an optically active ferromagnet composite via the in-situ synthesis of Fe[Fe(CN)6] in a helical polymer liquid crystal

This study introduces a novel method for blending inorganic materials and polymer liquid crystals. The proposed method involves the in-situ preparation of Fe[Fe(CN) 6 ] in hydroxypropyl cellulose to form a helical polymer liquid crystal. The chemical structures, optical properties, and magnetic properties of the composite constituting Fe[Fe(CN) 6 ] and hydroxypropyl cellulose were characterized using a superconducting quantum interference device, optical spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The obtained composite was an optically active ferromagnetic material because of the combination of the magnetic property of Fe[Fe(CN) 6 ] and supramolecular chirality of hydroxypropyl cellulose.