Magnetoactive Polymer Composites: Achievements and Development Prospects

Magnetoactive polymer composites—polymer matrices with embedded magnetic micro- and/or nanoparticles—belong to the class of smart materials and currently attract significant fundamental and practical interest. This article focuses primarily on magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs) based on chemically crosslinked polymer systems, research on which has been conducted at the Faculty of Physics of the Lomonosov Moscow State University since the late 1990s. A definition of MAEs is provided, and the properties of their main components—the polymer matrix and magnetic particles—are described. An overview is given of the physical phenomena observed in these materials when an external magnetic field is applied. The influence of the material composition on its magnetic response is discussed in detail, with an emphasis on magneto-mechanical properties, which are most critical for practical applications. The results of recent studies related to the synthesis of new matrices for MAEs, the influence of the shape and distribution of magnetic particles in the polymer matrix, as well as contemporary theoretical approaches to describing the behavior of MAEs in an external magnetic field are analyzed. Finally, the prospects for further advancement in the development of magnetoactive polymer materials and their practical applications are discussed.