Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide Using a Novel Sensor Based on Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles

Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation with sodium citrate as a surfactant and were used with chitosan to construct a novel hydrogen peroxide sensor. The electrochemical behavior of hydrogen peroxide at the sensor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The composite film electrocatalyzed the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, and the peak current increased linearly with concentration from 1.00 × 10^?5 to 1.00 × 10^?3 mol · L^?1 (R = 0.9974) with a detection limit of 1.53 × 10^?6 mol · L^?1. This novel nonenzyme sensor provided good sensitivity, stability, and precision with potential applications.     

Removal of Phenol Dyes Using a Photocatalytic Reactor with SnO2/Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

In this study, we present kinetics of phenol dyes removal by SnO₂/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in a photocatalytic reactor for optimization of this process. The effect of different concentrations of SnO₂ 5, 10, 15, 20% w/w on the photocatalytic reactor during removal of phenol red was investigated. The SnO₂/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by core–shell method. The results of XRD and TEM showed the successful synthesis of these nanoparticles. Several other methods were applied to synthesis of these nanoparticles but none of them succeeded. This process composed of two-stage. The first stage was absorption by iron oxide nanoparticles and second stage was photocatalytic by tin oxide nanoparticles that followed pseudo-second-order kinetic and first-order kinetic, respectively. Optimization of this process was done corresponding to the parameters affecting the process with design expert software. In order to determine the optimal values of each of the parameters and the optimal conditions of the process, parameters were introduced to response surface methodology.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Nanocomposite Flexible Membranes of PVA and Fe3O4

Composite polymer membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were produced in this work. X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated the formation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles of cubic structures. The nanoparticles were synthesized by a coprecipitation technique and added to PVA solutions with different concentrations. The solutions were then used to generate flexible membranes by a solution casting method. The size and shape of the nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average size of the nanoparticles was 20±9 nm. Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to investigate the structure of the membranes, as well as their vibration modes. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated the thermal stability of the membranes and the crystallinity degree. Electrical characteristics of the thin membranes were examined using impedance spectroscopy as a function of the nanoparticles’ concentrations and temperatures. The resistivity of the fabricated flexible membranes was possible to adjust by controlled doping with suitable concentrations of nanoparticles. The activation energy decreased with the nanoparticles’ concentrations due to the increase in charge carriers’ concentrations. Therefore, the fabricated membranes may be applied for practical applications that involve the recycling of nanoparticles for multiple application cycles.     

Fluorometric method for the determination of hydrogen peroxide and glucose with Fe3O4 as catalyst

In this paper, we utilized the instinct peroxidase-like property of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to establish a new fluorometric method for determination of hydrogen peroxide and glucose. In the presence of Fe₃O₄ MNPs as peroxidase mimetic catalyst, H₂O₂ was decomposed into radical that could quench the fluorescence of CdTe QDs more efficiently and rapidly. Then the oxidization of glucose by glucose oxidase was coupled with the fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs by H₂O₂ producer with Fe₃O₄ MNPs catalyst, which can be used to detect glucose. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a linear correlation was established between fluorescence intensity ratio I₀/I and concentration of H₂O₂ from 1.8 × 10⁻⁷ to 9 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L with a detection limit of 1.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L. And a linear correlation was established between fluorescence intensity ratio I₀/I and concentration of glucose from 1.6 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.6 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L. The proposed method was applied to the determination of glucose in human serum samples with satisfactory results.     

The Synthesis Methodology of PEGylated Fe3O4@Ag Nanoparticles Supported by Their Physicochemical Evaluation

Many investigations are currently being performed to develop the effective synthesis methodology of magnetic nanoparticles with appropriately functionalized surfaces. Here, the novelty of the presented work involves the preparation of nano-sized PEGylated Fe₃O₄@Ag particles, i.e., the main purpose was the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with a functionalized surface. Firstly, Fe₃O₄ particles were prepared via the Massart process. Next, Ag+ reduction was conducted in the presence of Fe₃O₄ particles to form a nanosilver coating. The reaction was performed with arabic gum as a stabilizing agent. Sound energy-using sonication was applied to disintegrate the particles’ agglomerates. Next, the PEGylation process aimed at the formation of a coating on the particles’ surface using PEG (poly(ethylene glycol)) has been performed. It was proved that the arabic gum limited the agglomeration of nanoparticles, which was probably caused by the steric effect caused by the branched compounds from the stabilizer that adsorbed on the surface of nanoparticles. This effect was also enhanced by the electrostatic repulsions. The process of sonication caused the disintegration of aggregates. Formation of iron (II, III) oxide with a cubic structure was proved by diffraction peaks. Formation of a nanosilver coating on the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was confirmed by diffraction peaks with 2θ values 38.15° and 44.35°. PEG coating on the particles’ surface was proven via FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis. Obtained PEG–nanosilver-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles may find applications as carriers for targeted drug delivery using an external magnetic field.     

Preparation of surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on magnetic core/shell Fe3O4/SiO2 and Fe3O4/Ag/SiO2 nanoparticles

In this paper, surface plasmon resonance biosensors based on magnetic core/shell Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles were developed for immunoassay. With Fe(3)O(4) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag nanoparticles being used as seeding materials, Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles were formed by hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate. The aldehyde group functionalized magnetic nanoparticles provide organic functionality for bioconjugation. The products were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), FTIR and UV-vis absorption spectrometry. The magnetic nanoparticles possess the unique superparamagnetism property, exceptional optical properties and good compatibilities, and could be used as immobilization matrix for goat anti-rabbit IgG. The magnetic nanoparticles can be easily immobilized on the surface of SPR biosensor chip by a magnetic pillar. The effects of Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles on the sensitivity of SPR biosensors were also investigated. As a result, the SPR biosensors based on Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) nanoparticles and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles exhibit a response for rabbit IgG in the concentration range of 1.25-20.00 μg ml(-1) and 0.30-20.00 μg ml(-1), respectively.     

Synthesis of orientedly bioconjugated core/shell Fe3O4@Au magnetic nanoparticles for cell separation

Orientedly bioconjugated core/shell Fe₃O₄@Au magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized for cell separation. The Fe₃O₄@Au magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing HAuCl₄ on the surfaces of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, which were further characterized in detail by TEM, XRD and UV-vis spectra. Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody was orientedly bioconjugated to the surface of Fe₃O₄@Au nanoparticles through affinity binding between the Fc portion of the antibody and protein A that covalently immobilized on the nanoparticles. The oriented immobilization method was performed to compare its efficiency for cell separation with the non-oriented one, in which the antibody was directly immobilized onto the carboxylated nanoparticle surface. Results showed that the orientedly bioconjugated Fe₃O₄@Au MNPs successfully pulled down CD3⁺ T cells from the whole splenocytes with high efficiency of up to 98.4%, showing a more effective cell-capture nanostructure than that obtained by non-oriented strategy. This developed strategy for the synthesis and oriented bioconjugation of Fe₃O₄@Au MNPs provides an efficient tool for cell separation, and may be further applied to various fields of bioanalytical chemistry for diagnosis, affinity extraction and biosensor.     

A New Method for the Preparation of Co3O4 Nanoparticles

In this study, a novel method was used to prepare well-separated and spherical tricobalt tetraoxide (Co₃O₄) nanosized particles. The overall process involves three steps: preparation of insoluble carboxyl-containing grafted starch copolymer (ISC), formation of precursor (ISC-Co), decomposition of ISC-Co, and phase transition of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. The Infrared spectra used for ISC and ISC-Co are discussed. The decomposition of the precursor was studied by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, the crystalline phase was characterized by x-ray diffraction, and the size distribution and shape of particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Translated from Journal of Northwest Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2005, 5(5) (in Chinese)     

Regioselective hydrothiolation of terminal acetylene catalyzed by magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles

Herein, we report a new and solvent-free methodology for the preparation of vinyl thioethers from terminal alkynes and thiols, using magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles as a recyclable catalyst. With this greener method, the desired vinyl thioethers were achieved in good yields and with good stereoselectivity. In addition, the catalyst was easily recovered using a simple external magnet and reused for further catalytic reactions without significant loss of activity up to the fifth cycle.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Regular Octahedron Fe3O4 Microcrystals

Regular octahedron Fe₃O₄ microcrystals have been synthesized by a hydrothermal process on a large scale directly Fe substrates for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to investigate the novel fractal microcrystals. The results show that the regular octahedron Fe₃O₄ microcrystals can be obtained using this simple method. The size of microcrystals is evaluated to be from 2 to 20 μm. Moreover, one key fact has been found that the reaction temperature has a vital effect on the morphologies of the products.     

Enhancing of asphaltene adsorption onto Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with metal-organic framework Mil-101 (Cr) for the inhibition of asphaltene precipitation

In this study, the potential of MOF (Mil-101-Cr)-coated Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-MOF MNPs) for asphaltene adsorption was investigated for the first time and the results were compared with magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs). The coprecipitation method was used for the synthesis of both nanoparticles and were verified using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The initial asphaltene concentration, nanoparticles concentration, and temperature were the investigated parameters that influenced the adsorption capacity. Increasing the asphaltene concentration, decreasing the mass of nanoparticles, and reducing the temperature could enhance the maximum asphaltene adsorption capacities of 0.79 for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 0.98?mg?m^?2 for Fe₃O₄-MOF MNPs. Adsorption isotherms tests showed that the Langmuir model was in agreement with the experimental data. In addition, the evaluation of adsorption kinetics demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order Lagergren model predicted the results more precisely. The amount of asphaltene adsorption for Fe₃O₄-MOF MNPs was higher than that for Fe₃O₄ MNPs. These results recommend the application of MOF as an appropriate and effective coating for enhancing asphaltene adsorption.     

Latent Fingerprints Enhancement Using a Functional Composite of Fe3O4@SiO2-Au

A functional composite of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Au was prepared and used for latent fingerprint detection. Material characterization results confirmed the successful fabrication of the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Au composite. In latent fingerprint detection, the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Au composite provides a better performance than commercial copper powder and also gold nanoparticles. More importantly, the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Au composite can be used in both powder and suspension forms, and also for common surfaces including glass, polyethylene bags, and paper. The favorable pH range (2.0–5.0) for the compositein finger marks detection is much wider than that of the traditional multi-metal deposition method (pH ranging from 2.0 to 3.0). The mechanism for the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Au composite in fingerprint detection was explored and discussed. This study provides a favorable choice for a one-step deposition method for latent fingerprint detection.     

Fabrication of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) for catalytic pyrolysis of nutshells biomass

The fabrication of nanoparticles has been perused as a topic of critical importance in the present decades. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles employs plants extract instead of harmful chemicals. These plant extracts act as reducing and capping agents which is the most appropriate and eco-friendly method among all the preparative routs. In present study, the magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-NPs) were fabricated using rapid, single step and benign biosynthetic rout by reduction of ferric nitrate nonahydrate solution with Ferocactus echidne aqueous extract containing ascorbic acid as a main reducing and capping agent. The structural and morphological properties of prepared iron oxide nanoparticles were investigated by Powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The size of the synthesized nanoparticles was approximately 15 ± 2 nm as determined by Scherrer equation. The biosynthetically fabricated nanoparticles were employed as catalyst for pyrolysis of nutshells to produce biofuel. Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass yields biofuel as an alternative source of energy and chemical feed stock. Effect of temperature, heating rate, and amount of catalyst were investigated on conversion percentage and product yields. Aniline point, carbon residue, and cetane number of prepared bio-oil were also determined.     

Characterization of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Applications in Catalytic Activity in the Adsorption/Degradation of Methylene Blue and Esterification

The aim of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the catalytic activity (CA) of the Fe₃O₄ magnetic system in the adsorption/degradation of methylene blue and esterification. The thermal decomposition method allowed the preparation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The crystallites of the Fe₃O₄ structural phase present an acicular form confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy results identified the acicular shape and agglomeration of the nanoparticles. Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that the spectrum is composed of five components at room temperature, a hyperfine magnetic field distribution (HMFD), two sextets, a doublet, and a singlet. The presence of the HMFD means that a particle size distribution is present. Fluorescence spectroscopy studied the CA of the nanoparticles with methylene blue and found adsorption/degradation properties of the dye. The catalytic activity of the nanoparticles was evaluated in the esterification reaction by comparing the results in the presence and absence of catalyst for the reaction with isobutanol and octanol, where it is observed that the selectivity for the products MIBP and MNOP is favored in the first three hours of reaction.     

Amperometric Immunosensor Based on Gold Nanoparticles/Fe3O4-FCNTs-CS Composite Film Functionalized Interface for Carbofuran Detection

In this paper, a novel amperometric immunosensor for the determination of carbofuran based on gold nanoparticles (GNPs), magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes-chitosan (Fe₃O₄-FCNTs-CS), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) composite film was proposed. First, GNPs were immobilized onto the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface, and then the magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles mixed with chitosan-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (CS-FCNTs) homogeneous composite (CS-FCNTs-Fe₃O₄) was immobilized onto the GNPs layer by electrostatic interactions between amino groups of CS and GNPs. Because chitosan (CS) contains many amino groups, it can absorb more antibodies. FCNTs have high surface area, high electrical conductivity, and it can enhance the electron transfer rate; Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles can provide a favorable microenvironment for biomolecules immobilization due to their good biocompatibility, strong superparamagnetic property, and low toxicity; and GNPs possess high surface-to-volume reaction, stability, and high conductivity. Gold Nanoparticles/Fe₃O₄-FCNTs-CS composite film was constructed onto the GCE surface, which had significant synergistic effects toward immunoreaction signal amplification. The stepwise assembly process was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the current response was proportional to the concentration of carbofuran ranging from 1.0 ng/mL to 100.0 ng/mL and from 100.0 ng/mL to 200 µg/mL with the detection limit 0.032 ng/mL. The proposed immunosensor exhibited good accuracy, high sensitivity, and stability, and it can be used for detection of carbofuran pesticide.     

Thick Fe2O3, Fe3O4 films prepared by the chemical solution deposition method

Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄ films have been prepared from Fe(OCH₂CH(CH₃)₂)₃–(CH₃)₂CHCH₂OH–2.2′-diethanola- mine (DEA)–poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) solutions by the spin-(SC) and dip-coating (DC) technique on SiO₂ and Si substrates. The maximum film thickness achieved without crack formation has been increased by incorporation of PVP (relative molecular weights 40000 and 360000) into the precursor solution. The stability of the precursor solutions was remarkably increased by addition of DEA. Compact, dense, and crack-free Fe₂O₃ films with thicknesses 900 nm (DC), 450 nm (SC), have been obtained via single-step deposition cycle. Higher-molecular-weight PVP has been more effective in increasing the thickness. The minimum concentration of DEA, which results in pronounced increase of solutions stability, is about R _P (n(DEA)/n(Fe) = 0.1). The high content of carboneous residue in the pyrolysed Fe₂O₃ films promotes the formation of Fe₃O₄ films via reduction in a gas flow of H₂/N₂ gas mixture. Microstructure, surface morphology, and magnetic properties of the films have been also investigated using SEM, AFM, and SQUID, respectively.     

Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine at Fe3O4/SPEEK Modified Electrode

Reported here is the design of an electrochemical sensor for dopamine (DA) based on a screen print carbon electrode modified with a sulphonated polyether ether ketone-iron (III) oxide composite (SPCE-Fe₃O₄/SPEEK). L. serica leaf extract was used in the synthesis of iron (III) oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄NPs). Successful synthesis of Fe₃O₄NP was confirmed through characterization using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible light (UV–VIS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of Fe₃O₄/SPEEK in 0.1 M of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) containing 5 mM of potassium ferricyanide (III) solution (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]). An increase in peak current was observed at the nanocomposite modified electrode SPCE-Fe₃O₄/SPEEK) but not SPCE and SPCE-Fe₃O₄, which could be ascribed to the presence of SPEEK. CV and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were employed in the electroxidation of dopamine (0.1 mM DA). The detection limit (LoD) of 7.1 μM and 0.005 μA/μM sensitivity was obtained for DA at the SPCE-Fe₃O₄/SPEEK electrode with concentrations ranging from 5–50 μM. LOD competes well with other electrodes reported in the literature. The developed sensor demonstrated good practical applicability for DA in a DA injection with good resultant recovery percentages and RSDs values.     

Fe3O4 MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br3: A new magnetically reusable catalyst for the oxidative coupling of thiols

We report a new strategy to immobilize a bromine source on the surface of magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br₃) leading to a magnetically recoverable catalyst, which exhibits high catalytic efficiency in oxidative coupling of thiols to the disulfides (89–98%). The Fe₃O₄ MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br₃ catalyst was fabricated by anchoring 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane (CPTMS) on magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, followed with N-benzylation and reaction with bromine in tetrachloridecarbon. The resulting nanocomposite was analyzed by a series of characterization techniques such as FT-IR, SEM, TGA, VSM and XRD. The catalyst could be recovered via magnetic attraction and could be recycled at least 5 times without appreciable decrease in activity.     

Pd@GO/Fe3O4/PAA/DCA: a novel magnetic heterogeneous catalyst for promoting the Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction

Abstract

A hybrid system involving graphene oxide (GO), magnetic oxide (Fe₃O₄), acrylamide and dicyandiamide was prepared via amine functionalization of GO/Fe₃O₄ by means of covalent bonding with acrylamide and subsequent reaction with dicyandiamide to provide a multinitrogen containing polymer on the surface of GO. This hybrid system was utilized as a heterogeneous catalyst support for immobilizing Pd nanoparticles to provide the hybrid, Pd@GO/Fe₃O₄/PAA/DCA. This nano-Pd composite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and ICP techniques and used for promoting Sonogashira cross-coupling under mild reaction conditions. This heterogeneous and magnetic catalyst was easily separated by external magnet and was reused in a model reaction, efficiently up to six times with slight loss of catalytic activity and Pd leaching, showing the suitability of GO/Fe₃O₄/PAA/DCA for embedding Pd nanoparticles. To check the effect of the number of surface nitrogens of the polymeric chain on the catalytic performance, the activity of the catalyst was compared with Pd@GO/Fe₃O₄/PAA; increased number of the surface nitrogens on the chain polymer leads to higher loading of Pd and lower the Pd leaching.