Liquid magnet takes shape as ferrofluids hold their attraction
Fluids could find uses in drug delivery or robotics
Magnetic droplets showing the fluid characteristics of liquids and the magnetic properties of solids have been prepared by fixing magnetic nanoparticles in a ferrofluid using a surfactant. The droplets can be reshaped without losing their magnetic properties and moved precisely by an external field, which could make them useful in liquid robotics and drug delivery.