CS‐Fe(II,III) complex as precursor for magnetite nanocrystal

Chitosan‐iron ions complex (CS‐Fe(II,III) complex) was used as precursor to synthesize magnetite nanocrystals and the mechanism was discussed. The magnetite nanocrystals have diameters of about 10 nm and clusters were formed due to slight aggregation of several magnetite nanocrystals. FT‐IR and X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) investigations indicated that the Fe(II) and Fe(III) were chelated by ? NH₂ and ? OH groups of chitosan in CS‐Fe(II,III) complex, and the molar ratio of ? NH₂/Fe(II,III) was approximately 2. This chelation effect destroyed the hydrogen bonds of chitosan. In the following alkali treatment process, the chelated Fe(II) and Fe(III) provided nucleation site and formed the magnetite nanocrystals. After alkali treatment, the chelation effect between iron ions and ? NH₂ groups disappeared and some kind of weak interaction formed between magnetite and ? NH₂ groups. Moreover, the ? OH groups of chitosan have an interaction with the synthesized magnetite nanocrystals. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

反相微乳液合成30～100nm磁性聚合物纳米微球

利用反相微乳液一步法成功地制备了磁性聚合物纳米微球,微球粒径在30～100nm左右,均一性较好,研究表明,Fe(Ⅱ)浓度对微乳液和微胶乳的稳定性有很大影响,碱的种类、AOT和单体的含量能控制微球粒径,用振动探针式磁强仪(VSM)测定了不同比例的[Fe(Ⅱ)]/[Fe(Ⅲ)]所合成的聚合物微球的磁性,发现温度对合成高磁饱和强度和超顺磁性起关键作用,合成的磁性聚合物微胶乳透明且稳定性较好.     

Polyol合成法制备生物医药用超小粒径Fe3O4磁性纳米晶体

采用一罐polyol合成法还原Fe（Ⅲ）乙酰丙酮化合物制备了粒径可调、单分散、直径5nm以下的磁性Fe3O4纳米晶体．其晶粒表面为所用聚合物表面活性剂PVP所包覆．运用透射电镜／高分辨透射电镜、X射线衍射、振动样品磁强计和超导量子干涉仪对其结构和性能进行了表征．结果表明所制得的Fe3O4磁性纳米晶体在室温下显示出优良的超顺磁性,且结晶度高、分散性好、化学性质稳定同时表面易修饰．磁滞回线的模型分析说明该Fe3O4纳米晶粒是磁性单畴．该法制得的超顺磁Fe3O4纳米晶粒在生物和医学领域具有重要的应用价值．     

Gelification: an effective measure for achieving differently sized biocompatible Fe3O4 nanocrystals through a single preparation recipe

Biocompatible Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals were synthesized through the pyrolysis of ferric acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)(3)) in diphenyl oxide, in the presence of α,ω-dicarboxyl-terminated polyethylene glycol (HOOC-PEG-COOH) and oleylamine. Unusual gelification phenomena were observed from the aliquots extracted at different reaction stages after they were cooled to room temperature. By reaction time, the average size of the Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals was tuned from 5.8 to 11.7 nm with an equilibrium size around 11.3 nm. By increasing the gelification degree of the stock solution, the equilibrium size of the Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals was further increased from 11.3 to 18.9 nm. The underlying gel formation mechanism was investigated by using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results suggest that the complexation between HOOC-PEG-COOH and Fe(acac)(3), with the help of oleylamine, results in large molecular networks, which are responsible for the gelification of the stock solution, while the interaction between the fragment of the molecular network and Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystal is responsible for the second gelification process observed during the early stage of reflux. To further investigate the particle growth behavior, small molecules released during the preparation were collected and analyzed by using photoelectron spectroscopy/photoionization mass spectroscopy (PES/PIMS). It was demonstrated that the pyrolysis of the Fe precursor is strongly correlated with the particle growth process. Further numerical simulations reveal that the first gelification process induced by the complexation between HOOC-PEG-COOH and Fe(acac)(3) largely alters the pyrolysis behavior of the Fe precursor; consequently, the equilibrium size of the resultant Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals can effectively be tuned by the gelification degree of the stock solution.     

Role of Magnetite Nanoparticles Size and Concentration on Hyperthermia under Various Field Frequencies and Strengths

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized using the chemical coprecipitation method. Several nanoparticle samples were synthesized by varying the concentration of iron salt precursors in the solution for the synthesis. Two batches of nanoparticles with average sizes of 10.2 nm and 12.2 nm with nearly similar particle-size distributions were investigated. The average particle sizes were determined from the XRD patterns and TEM images. For each batch, several samples with different particle concentrations were prepared. Morphological analysis of the samples was performed using TEM. The phase and structure of the particles of each batch were studied using XRD, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Raman and XPS spectroscopy. Magnetic hysteresis loops were obtained using a Lakeshore vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. In the two batches, the particles were found to be of the same pure crystalline phase of magnetite. The effects of particle size, size distribution, and concentration on the magnetic properties and magneto thermic efficiency were investigated. Heating profiles, under an alternating magnetic field, were obtained for the two batches of nanoparticles with frequencies 765.85, 634.45, 491.10, 390.25, 349.20, 306.65, and 166.00 kHz and field amplitudes of 100, 200, 250, 300 and 350 G. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values for the particles of size 12.2 nm are higher than those for the particles of size 10.2 nm at all concentrations and field parameters. SAR decreases with the increase of particle concentration. SAR obtained for all the particle concentrations of the two batches increases almost linearly with the field frequency (at fixed field strength) and nonlinearly with the field amplitude (at fixed field frequency). SAR value obtained for magnetite nanoparticles with the highest magnetization is 145.84 W/g at 765.85 kHz and 350 G, whereas the SAR value of the particles with the least magnetization is 81.67 W/g at the same field and frequency.     

多元醇还原法制备片状六边形Fe3O4纳米颗粒

在表面活性剂油酸和油胺,液相环境二苄醚体系中,利用多元醇还原法,采用1,2-十二烷二醇还原前驱体乙酰丙酮铁Fe(acac)3,通过表面活性剂、金属前驱体以及液相环境的共同作用,制备出了单分散片状六边形Fe3O4纳米颗粒。分析了表面活性剂以及还原剂多元醇对纳米颗粒尺寸及形貌的影响。TEM表征结果显示：与未使用表面活性剂的情况相比,油酸和油胺的加入抑制了颗粒的生长,使颗粒尺寸从24.2 nm降低到10.7 nm;颗粒形貌多样化,出现了片状六边形形貌的Fe3O4纳米颗粒。磁性能检测表明： Fe3O4纳米颗粒具有高饱和磁化强度（Ms=88 emu/g）和零剩磁的特点,有望作为磁标记材料应用在生物检测上     

Optimal design and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with polyvinyl alcohol for targeted delivery and imaging

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) with narrow size distribution and stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were synthesized. The particles were prepared by a coprecipitation technique using ferric and ferrous salts with a molar Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of 2. Using a design of experiments (DOE) approach, the effect of different synthesis parameters (stirring rate and base molarity) on the structure, morphology, saturation magnetization, purity, size, and size distribution of the synthesized magnetite nanoparticles was studied by various analysis techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. PVA not only stabilized the colloid but also played a role in preventing further growth of SPION followed by the formation of large agglomerates by chemisorption on the surface of particles. A rich behavior in particle size, particle formation, and super paramagnetic properties is observed as a function of molarity and stirring conditions. The particle size and the magnetic properties as well as particle shape and aggregation (individual nanoparticles, magnetic beads, and magnetite colloidal nanocrystal clusters (CNCs) are found to be influenced by changes in the stirring rate and the base molarity. The formation of magnetic beads results in a decrease in the saturation magnetization, while CNCs lead to an increase in saturation magnetization. On the basis of the DOE methodology and the resulting 3-D response surfaces for particle size and magnetic properties, it is shown that optimum regions for stirring rate and molarity can be obtained to achieve coated SPION with desirable size, purity, magnetization, and shape.     

Physical and Chemical Properties of Magnetite and Magnetite-Polymer Nanoparticles and Their Colloidal Dispersions

The properties of polymer-coated magnetite nanoparticles, which have the potential to be used as effective magnetic resonance contrast agents, have been studied. The magnetite particles were synthesized by using continuous synthesis in an aqueous solution. The polymer-coated magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized by seed precipitation polymerization of methacrylic acid and hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the presence of the magnetite nanoparticles. The particle size was measured by laser light scattering. It was shown that the particle size, variance, magnetic properties, and stability of aqueous magnetite colloidal dispersion strictly depend on the nature of the stabilizing agent. The average hydrodynamic radius of the magnetite particles was found to be 5.7 nm in the stable aqueous colloidal dispersion. An inclusion of the magnetite particle into a hydrophilic polymeric shell increases the stability of the dispersion and decreases the influence of the stabilizing agent on the magnetic and structural properties of the magnetite particles as was shown by X-ray diffraction and M?ssbauer and IR spectroscopy, as well as by vibrating sample magnetometry. The variation in the polymeric shell size and the polymer net density can be useful tools for evaluation of the polymer-coated magnetite particles as effective contrast agents. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Multigram scale synthesis and characterization of monodisperse tetragonal zirconia nanocrystals

A new and simple method has been developed to synthesize large quantities of highly monodisperse tetragonal zirconia nanocrystals. In this synthesis, a nonhydrolytic sol-gel reaction between zirconium(IV) isopropoxide and zirconium(IV) chloride at 340 degrees C generated 4 nm sized zirconia nanoparticles. A high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) image showed that the particles have a uniform particle size distribution and that they are highly crystalline. These monodisperse nanoparticles were synthesized without any size selection process. X-ray diffraction studies combined with Rietveld refinement revealed that the ZrO(2) nanocrystals are the high-temperature tetragonal phase, and very close to a cubic phase. When zirconium(IV) bromide is used as a precursor instead of zirconium chloride, zirconia nanoparticles with an average size of 2.9 nm were obtained. The UV-visible absorption spectrum of 4 nm sized zirconia nanoparticles exhibited a strong absorption starting at around 270 nm. A fluorescence spectrum with excitation at 300 nm showed a broad fluorescence band centered around 370 nm. FTIR spectra showed indication of TOPO binding on the ZrO(2) nanoparticle surface. These optical studies also suggest that the nanoparticles are of high quality in terms of narrow particle size distribution and relatively low density of surface trap states.     

醇热解法合成超顺磁性氧化铁纳米粒子及其性能

以甲氧基聚乙二醇同时作为溶剂、还原剂及修饰剂,在高温下分解乙酰丙酮铁,制备了纳米Fe3O4粒子,采用透射电子显微镜和X射线衍射分析表征材料的形貌和相组成,傅里叶变换红外光谱仪表征材料的表面修饰物,超导量子干涉仪测试合成的纳米粒子的磁性能,纳米粒度与zeta电势分析仪测试磁性纳米粒子在水中的zeta电势。 结果表明,纳米Fe3O4粒子的大小为（10.1±1.6） nm,粒度均一,单分散性好,在300 K下具有超顺磁性,饱和磁化强度为45 A·m2/kg。 红外结果表明,-COO-共价结合在粒子表面。 zeta电势为-25 mV。 其在水中的稳定性与以三甘醇为反应介质、高温分解法制备的纳米Fe3O4粒子作比较,表现出长时间（60 d以上）的良好分散性。 静电作用及空间位阻效应是其高稳定分散性的原因。     

Size-controlled synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles

Monodisperse magnetite nanoparticles have been synthesized by high-temperature solution-phase reaction of Fe(acac)3 in phenyl ether with alcohol, oleic acid, and oleylamine. Seed-mediated growth is used to control Fe3O4 nanoparticle size, and variously sized nanoparticles from 3 to 20 nm have been produced. The as-synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles have inverse spinel structure, and their assemblies can be transformed into gamma-Fe2O3 or alpha-Fe nanoparticle assemblies, depending on the annealing conditions. The reported procedure can be used as a general approach to various ferrite nanoparticles and nanoparticle superlattices.     

Porous Fe3O4 nanoparticles: synthesis and application in catalyzing epoxidation of styrene

A facile route was employed to synthesize porous magnetite via reaction of FeCl(3)·6H(2)O with N(2)H(4)·H(2)O in ethylene glycol without any structure-directing agent. The resultant Fe(3)O(4) particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, N(2) adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. It was demonstrated that the particle size varied in the range of 40-220 nm, and the pore size of particles was centered around 2 nm. The gases produced in the formation process of the particles played key role in the formation of the porous structure. The obtained porous magnetite was used as support to immobilize Au nanoparticles with size less than 2 nm with the assistance of L-cysteine. The as-prepared Fe(3)O(4) particles can effectively catalyze epoxidation of styrene, and the immobilization of Au nanoparticles on the Fe(3)O(4) support significantly improved the activity of the catalyst.     

Solution self-assembly of magnetic light modulators from exfoliated perovskite and magnetite nanoparticles

Covalent linkage of oleic acid ligated Fe3O4 spheres (9 nm) with sheetlike [H1-xCa2Nb3O10] particles (300 x 300 x 2 nm) yields, depending on conditions, submicro- or microscale stacks, which on their surfaces are decorated with magnetite nanoparticles. Due to the optical anisotropy of the sheetlike Ca2Nb3O10 building blocks and due to the superparamagnetic nature of the Fe3O4 components, the nanostructured composites exhibit magnetically controllable birefringence and light-scattering properties in solution.     

Synthesis of branched gold nanocrystals by a seeding growth approach

Synthesis of branched gold nanocrystals by a seeding growth approach is described. In this process, HAuCl4 aqueous solution was supplied stepwise to grow the gold seeds (approximately 2.5 nm) into larger nanoparticles with a highly faceted particle structure (approximately 15-20 nm in diameter). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) served as a capping agent to facilitate the formation of highly faceted nanoparticles, and ascorbic acid was used as a weak reducing agent. The highly faceted nanoparticles then transformed into branched nanocrystals (approximately 40 nm in length) by further addition of the SDS-HAuCl4 solution and ascorbic acid for particle growth. The branched nanocrystals show bipod, tripod, tetrapod, and pentapod structures and are composed of mainly (111) lattice planes. These multipods appear to grow along the twin boundaries of the initially formed highly faceted gold nanoparticles, as the twin boundaries on the pods originate from the centers of the branched nanocrystals. The concentration of ascorbate ions in the solution was found to have a profound influence on branch formation. These branched nanocrystals are stable to storage at low temperature (that is, 4 degrees C), but they may slowly evolve into a multitwinned faceted crystal structure (that is, pentagonal-shaped decahedral structure) when stored at 30 degrees C.     

不同形貌的Fe3O4微-纳米粒子的溶剂热合成

以FeCl3?6H2O为铁源,用乙二醇或1,2丙二醇为溶剂,PEG为表面活性剂,以及NaOH或KOH为碱源,采用溶剂热法,制备出具有亲水性、分散性较好、超顺磁性和形貌各异的Fe3O4微、纳米颗粒,并对其形貌、结构和磁性进行了表征. 结果表明,产物是均为立方晶系Fe3O4,其颗粒尺寸从20nm-600nm可调. 我们观察到碱源的种类和用量、反应时间、溶剂等对产物形貌的影响,其中碱的用量影响最大. 本文对不同形貌Fe3O4的形成过程进行了探讨,并提出了合理的解释. 所得到的室温下呈现超顺磁性的Fe3O4粒子可以初步满足了生物医学中的应用.     

Inorganic nanocrystal self-assembly via the inclusion interaction of beta-cyclodextrins: toward 3D spherical magnetite

Synthesis and three-dimensional (3D) assembly of magnetite nanocrystals were realized by a one-pot procedure, in which Fe(acac)3 (acac = acetylacetonate) was partly reduced by hydrazine accompanied with ethylene glycol and spontaneously assembled into spherical nanostructures in the presence of surfactants including beta-cyclodextrin, oleic acid, and oleylamine. The size of the assembled spheres can coarsely be controlled in a limited range (100 nm to 2 microm) by changing the reaction temperature and the concentration of beta-cyclodextrin. X-ray diffraction and far Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to clarify the structures of magnetite in the assembled spheres. Electron diffraction pattern in a selected-area exhibits a high-crystallinity characteristic of cubic structure magnetite. We found that the formation of spherical magnetite aggregates highly depends on the presence of beta-cyclodextrin, while oleic acid and oleylamine improve the morphology of individual magnetite nanoparticles in the assembled spheres. In addition, the thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were applied to determine the content of magnetite in the products. Magnetic properties were also studied by using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer.     

Preparation and properties of poly(acrylic acid) oligomer stabilized superparamagnetic ferrofluid

Ferrofluids, which are stable dispersions of magnetic particles, behave as liquids that have strong magnetic properties. Nanoparticles of magnetite with a mean diameter of 10-15 nm, which are in the range of superparamagnetism, are usually prepared by the traditional method of co-precipitation from ferrous and ferric electrolyte solution. When diluted, the ferrofluid dispersions are not stable if anionic or cationic surfactants are used as the stabilizer. This work presents an efficient way to prepare a stable aqueous nanomagnetite dispersion. A stable ferrofluid containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles was synthesized via co-precipitation in the presence of poly(acrylic acid) oligomer. The mechanism, microstructure, and properties of the ferrofluid were investigated. The results indicate that the PAA oligomers promoted the nucleation and inhibited the growth of the magnetic iron oxide, and the average diameter of each individual Fe3O4 particle was smaller than 10 nm. In addition, the PAA oligomers provided both electrostatic and steric repulsion against particle aggregation, and the stability of dispersions could be controlled by adjusting the pH value of solution. A small amount of Fe2O3 was found in the nanoparticles but the superparamagnetic behavior of the nanoparticles was not affected.     

Surfactant-assisted one-pot synthesis of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticle clusters with tunable cluster size and magnetic field sensitivity

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have many potential biomedical applications. Improvements in their magnetic properties and solubility are necessary for these applications to realize their full potential. In this study, MNPs in the form of raspberry-like magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticle clusters, consisting of tiny Fe(3)O(4) particles with a diameter of approximately 20 nm, were prepared under hydrothermal conditions at 200 °C in the presence of 3,4-dihydroxyhydroxysinnamic acid (DHCA). The primary particles were connected by DHCA molecules to form the clusters, which were well dispersed in water media because a COOH group from DHCA appeared on their surfaces. The cluster size could be tuned from 50 to 400 nm without changing the primary particle size by controlling the reaction time. Therefore, all prepared clusters displayed superparamagnetic properties at room temperature. In addition, the sensitivity of Fe(3)O(4) to an external magnetic field could also be controlled by the cluster size.     

Continuous tuning of cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide nanoparticle size in a water-in-supercritical carbon dioxide microemulsion

The size and size dispersion of cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide semiconductor nanoparticles can be continuously tuned over a wide range of values by adjusting the density of the fluid phase in water-in-supercritical CO2 microemulsions. The average size of the ZnS nanoparticles decreases linearly from approximately 9.1 to 1.9 nm with increasing fluid density from 0.86 to 0.99 g cm(-3) at a water-to-surfactant ratio (W value) of 10. At a W value of 6, the particle size can be tuned from 7.0 to 1.5 nm in the same density range. In the case of CdS nanocrystals, the size varied from 7.1 to 2.0 nm when the W value was 10 and from 4.0 to 1.3 nm when the W value employed was 6, in the same density range. Monodispersive CdS and ZnS nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical reaction of cadmium or zinc nitrate with sodium sulfide, using two water-in-supercritical CO2 microemulsions as nanoreactors followed by protection with a fluorinated-thiol stabilizer. The stabilizer is introduced at 6 and 16 minutes after the mixing of the two microemulsions where the intensity of the characteristic absorption peak due to the quantum confinement properties of the CdS and ZnS nanoparticles (280 and 360 nm) reaches a maximum, respectively. The supercritical CO2 microemulsion method represents a simple approach to use a density-tunable solvent for synthesizing size-controlled semiconductor nanoparticles over a broad range of values.     

High purity anatase TiO(2) nanocrystals: near room-temperature synthesis, grain growth kinetics, and surface hydration chemistry

High purity, spherical anatase nanocrystals were prepared by a modified sol-gel method. Mixing of anhydrous TiCl(4) with ethanol at about 0 degrees C yielded a yellowish sol that was transformed into phase-pure anatase of 7.7 nm in size after baking at 87 degrees C for 3 days. This synthesis route eliminates the presence of fine seeds of the nanoscale brookite phase that frequently occurs in low-temperature formation reactions and also significantly retards the phase transformation to rutile at high temperatures. Heating the as-is 7.7 nm anatase for 2 h at temperatures up to 600 degrees C leads to an increase in grain size of the anatase nanoparticles to 32 nm. By varying the calcination time from 2 to 48 h at 300 degrees C, the particle size could be controlled between 12 and 15.3 nm. The grain growth kinetics of anatase nanoparticles was found to follow the equation, D(2) - D(0)(2) = k(0)t(m)e((-)(E)(a)/(RT)) with a time exponent m = 0.286(+/-9) and an activation energy of E(a) = 32 +/- 2 kJ x mol(-)(1). Thermogravimetric analysis in combination with infrared and X-ray photoemission spectroscopies has shown the anatase nanocrystals at different sizes to be composed of an interior anatase lattice with surfaces that are hydrogen-bonded to a wide set of energetically nonequivalent groups. With a decrease in particle size, the anatase lattice volume contracts, while the surface hydration increases. The removal of the surface hydration layers causes coarsening of the nanoparticles.