Synthesis of Fe3O4\SiO2\Ag nanoparticles and its application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

To obtain a recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) material, we developed a composite of Fe₃O₄\SiO₂\Ag with core\shell\particles structure. The designed particles were synthesized via an ultrasonic route. The Raman scattering signal of Fe₃O₄ could be shielded by increasing the thickness of the SiO₂ layer to 60 nm. Dye rhodamine B (RB) was chosen as probe molecule to test the SERS effect of the synthesized Fe₃O₄\SiO₂\Ag particles. On the synthesized Fe₃O₄\SiO₂\Ag particles, the characteristic Raman bands of RB could be observed when the RB solution was diluted to 5 ppm (1×10⁻⁵ M). Furthermore, the synthesized particles could keep their efficiency till four cycles.     

Fe3O4@SiO2@polymer复合粒子的制备及在药物控制释放中的应用

本文通过多步反应制备了一种新型的、多层结构的、多功能的磁性纳米复合粒子, (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@polymer). 纳米复合粒子内核是磁性Fe₃O₄纳米粒子, SiO₂包裹在Fe₃O₄上能够使其稳定分散和保护其不被腐蚀氧化; 中间层是生物相容的聚天冬氨酸(PAsp)载药层; 最外层是亲水的聚乙二醇(PEG)稳定层. 磁性纳米复合粒子各层都是生物相容的, 利用静电作用将抗癌药物阿霉素(DOX)负载在磁性纳米复合粒子中, 通过PAsp的pH响应调节了DOX的释放速率.     

Synthesis and electromagnetic properties of polyaniline-coated silica/maghemite nanoparticles

Polyaniline coated silica/maghemite nanoparticles (PANI/SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ composites) were synthesized by the combination of a sol-gel process and an in-situ polymerization method, in which ferrous and ferric salts as well as tetraethyl orthosilica (TEOS) acted as the precursor for γ-Fe₂O₃ and silica, respectively. As a result, the SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ particle showed a core-shell structure, with γ-Fe₂O₃ as the magnetic core and silica as the shell of the particle. The shell thickness can be controlled by changing the TEOS concentration. The PANI/SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ composites revealed a multilayer core-shell structure, where PANI is the outer shell of the composite. The doping level and the conductivity of PANI/SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ composites decreased with increasing the TEOS content due to the presence of the less coated PANI on the SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ core at higher TEOS content. For a SQUID analysis at room temperature, all γ-Fe₂O₃ containing composites showed a typical superparamagnetic behavior. The saturation magnetization of SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles decreased with increasing the TEOS content due to the increase in silica shell thickness, while the saturation magnetization of PANI/SiO₂/γ-Fe₂O₃ composites also decreased with increasing the TEOS content, which is attributed to the lower conductivity of PANI in the composites at higher TEOS content.     

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 facile two-step modifying process for preparation of poly(SStNa)-grafted Fe3O4/SiO2 particles

This article reports the synthesis of the poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-grafted Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ particles via two steps. The first step involved magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) homogeneously incorporated into silica spheres using the modified Stöber method. Second, the modified silica-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were covered with the outer shell of anionic polyelectrolyte by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The resulted composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive microscopy (EDS), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). The XRD results indicated that the surface modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles did not lead to phase change compared with the pure Fe₃O₄. TEM studies revealed nanoparticles remained monodisperse. The detection of sulfur and sodium signals was a convincing evidence that sodium 4-styrenesulfonate was grafted onto the surface of the magnetic silica in XPS analysis. Finally, super-paramagnetic properties of the composite particles, and the ease of modifying the surfaces may make the composites of important use in mild separation, enzyme immobilization, etc.     

Picolinimidoamide-Cu(II) complex anchored on Fe3O4@SiO2 core–shell magnetic nanoparticles: an efficient reusable catalyst for click reaction

A Cu(II) complex supported on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was prepared and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, VSM, TGA, and AAS analysis. The load of Cu on picolinimidoamide ligand anchored on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell MNPs was determined as 1.22, 1.54, and 1.70 wt% using AAS, EDX and TGA analyses, respectively. Synthesized Cu(II) complex on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ MNPs efficiently catalyzed a click reaction between alkyl halides, alkynes, and sodium azide to synthesize corresponding triazoles in high to excellent yields. The catalyst was recovered using an external magnetic field, and recycled for subsequent reactions without substantial loss of efficiency.     

Ni@Pd core–shell nanoparticles immobilized on yolk–shell Fe3O4@polyaniline composites as a highly efficient,magnetically separable and atom‐economical catalyst for reduction of nitrobenzenes

The preparation of Ni@Pd core–shell nanoparticles immobilized on yolk–shell Fe₃O₄@polyaniline composites is reported. Fe₃O₄ nanoclusters were first synthesized through the solvothermal method and then the SiO₂ shell was coated on the Fe₃O₄ surface via a sol–gel process. To prepare Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@polyaniline composites, polyvinylpyrrolidone was first grafted on to the surface of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ composites and subsequently polymerization of aniline was carried out via an ultrasound‐assisted in situ surface polymerization method. Selective etching of the middle SiO₂ layer was then accomplished to obtain the yolk–shell Fe₃O₄@polyaniline composites. The approach uses polyaniline (PANI) conductive polymer as a template for the synthesis of Ni@Pd core–shell nanoparticles. The catalytic activity of the synthesized yolk–shell Fe₃O₄@PANI/Ni@Pd composite was investigated in the reduction of o‐nitroaniline to benzenediamine by NaBH₄, which exhibited conversion of 99% in 3 min with a very low content of the catalyst. Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, TGA, X‐ray diffraction, UV–visible, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray energy dispersion spectroscopy and FT‐IR were employed to characterize the synthesized nanocatalyst. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Reactivity of nanoparticles; interaction between zinc and copper oxide nanoparticles and iron ions in an alkaline medium

The reactivity of zinc and copper oxide nanoparticles was investigated upon their interaction with iron oxides. It was ascertained that, depending on the reaction conditions, nanoparticles of zinc and copper ferrites (ZnFe₂O₄ and CuFe₂O₄) or core/shell nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/ZnO) are produced. Size, composition, and structure of the resulting nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The average size of zinc and copper ferrite nanoparticles was ascertained to be 9–10 and 2–3 nm, respectively. For core/shell Fe₃O₄/ZnO nanoparticles, the average size is 20 nm. It was experimentally proved that the photoluminescence radiative characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles are retained in core/shell Fe₃O₄/ZnO nanoparticles.     

油分散性核壳Fe3O4@MnO纳米复合材料的合成及其对氧化环化反应的催化性能（英文）

采用两相种子介导法以锰油酸为前驱体制备了一种新型油溶性核壳结构Fe3O4@MnO纳米复合材料,直径约为15 nm。所制备的具有核壳结构的纳米复合材料是单分散且均匀的。该产物对2-羟基苯乙酮和1,2-二氨基苯的氧化环化反应表现出高且可循环的催化活性。与在环化反应中使用的其他报道的催化剂相比,所制备的Fe3O4@MnO纳米复合材料绿色、廉价且更适合于大规模工业应用。     

Fe2O3@Au core/shell nanoparticle-based electrochemical DNA biosensor for Escherichia coli detection

A Fe₂O₃@Au core/shell nanoparticle-based electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed for the amperometric detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Magnetic Fe₂O₃@Au nanoparticles were prepared by reducing HAuCl₄ on the surfaces of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. This DNA biosensor is based on a sandwich detection strategy, which involves capture probe immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), target and reporter probe labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Once magnetic field was added, these sandwich complexes were magnetically separated and HRP confined at the surfaces of MNPs could catalyze the enzyme substrate and generate electrochemical signals. The biosensor could detect the concentrations upper than 0.01 pM DNA target and upper than 500 cfu/mL of E. coli without any nucleic acid amplification steps. The detection limit could be lowered to 5 cfu/mL of E. coli after 4.0 h of incubation.     

Synthesis of pH‐responsive magnetic yolk–shell nanoparticles: A comparison between conventional etching and new deswelling approaches

Iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) magnetic nanoparticles as movable cores were used to synthesize yolk–shell nanoparticles with pH‐responsive shell composed of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA)‐crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) via two different routes. In the first more common route, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were coated with silica layer via the Stöber process to yield Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell nanoparticles, subsequently used as seeds in the distillation precipitation copolymerization of AA and EGDMA to yield Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@P(AA‐EGDMA). The silica layer was selectively removed through alkali etching to yield Fe₃O₄@air@P(AA‐EGDMA). In the second route, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles without any stabilization were used as seeds in the distillation precipitation copolymerization of AA and EGDMA to yield Fe₃O₄@P(AA‐EGDMA) core–shell nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were subsequently dispersed in acidic medium of pH = 2. Yolk–shell Fe₃O₄@air@P(AA‐EGDMA) nanoparticles were formed through deswelling of crosslinked PAA because of protonation of carboxyl groups at low pH values. Various techniques were utilized to investigate the characteristics of the synthesized core–shell nanoparticles. Formation of yolk–shell nanostructure was observed for both synthesis routes, namely etching of silica layer and deswelling approaches, from vibrating sample magnetometry and transmission electron microscopy results. Both types of nanoparticles showed pH‐responsive behaviour, i.e. decrease in absorption with increase in pH, as examined using UV–visible spectroscopy.     

Ultrasonic synthesis of polyaniline nanotubes containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes containing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized under ultrasonic irradiation of the aqueous solutions of aniline, ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS), phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄), and the quantitative amount of Fe₃O₄. It was found that the obtained samples had the morphologies of nanotubes. TEM images and selected area electronic diffractions showed that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were embedded in PANI nanotubes. We thought that the mechanism of the formation of PANI/Fe₃O₄ nanotubes could be attributed to the ultrasonic irradiation and the H₃PO₄-aniline salt template. The molecular structure of PANI/Fe₃O₄ nanotubes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis absorption spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The conductivity and magnetic properties of the PANI nanotubes containing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were also investigated.     

Self-assembly approach for the synthesis of electro-magnetic functionalized Fe3O4/polyaniline nanocomposites: Effect of dopant on the properties

Electro-magnetic functionalized Fe₃O₄/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization in the presence of ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidizing agent. Polymerization was carried out independently using two different types of dopants, organic acids (camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA)) and inorganic acid (hydrochloric acid). A plausible mechanism for the formation of the nanocomposites (NCs) is presented. During the formation of NCs, CSA/TSA also serves as a micellar template, whereas micelle formation is absent in the case of HCl. Fe₃O₄/PANI-CSA-NC, Fe₃O₄/PANI-TSA-NC and Fe₃O₄/PANI-HCl-NC were characterized for morphology, molecular structure, electrical conductivity and magnetic properties by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and superconductor quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements. The results indicate that dopant influence the properties of the NCs. TEM photographs of Fe₃O₄/PANI-CSA and Fe₃O₄/PANI-TSA reveal that the composite particles are spherical having a layer of PANI-CSA or PANI-TSA over Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Fe₃O₄/PANI-CSA-NC and Fe₃O₄/PANI-TSA-NC have better morphology, conductivity and high magnetic saturation (M_s) than that of Fe₃O₄/PANI-HCl-NC. Under applied magnetic field, the NCs exhibit the hysteresis loops of the ferromagnetic behavior. M_s value varies with content of Fe₃O₄ present in the composites.     

Synthesis of Hollow SiO2 Nanoparticles from Dy2O3@SiO2 Core–Shell Nanocomposites via a Recyclable Sonochemical Method

Hollow silica nanoparticles were prepared from Dy₂O₃@SiO₂ core–shell nanocomposites, for the first time, by a simple ultrasonic assisted sol–gel method. The Dy₂O₃@SiO₂ core–shell nanocomposites were prepared by the deposition of a SiO₂ layer onto the surface of Dy₂O₃ nanoparticles using a three-step coating process. The hollow SiO₂ nanostructures were obtained by selective removal of the Dy₂O₃ cores. The structure, morphology and composition of the products were determined by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transfom infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that hollow SiO₂ nanostructures were sphere-like shape with the average size of 20?nm and had an amorphous crystal structure. The important advantage of this process is the recyclability of the Dy₂O₃ nanoparticles as the starting material of the reaction.     

A molecularly imprinted polymer-coated nanocomposite of magnetic nanoparticles for estrone recognition

In this study, we synthesized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles coated estrone-imprinted polymer with controlled size using a semi-covalent imprinting strategy. In this protocol, the estrone-silica monomer complex (EstSi) was synthesized by the reaction 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate with estrone, where the template was linked to the silica coating on the iron oxide core via a thermally reversible bond. The removal of the template by a simple thermal reaction produced specific estrone recognition sites on the surface of silica shell.The resulting estrone-imprinted polymer coating Fe₃O₄ magnetic hybrid nanoparticles exhibit a much higher specific recognition and saturation magnetization. The hybrid nanoparticles have been used for biochemical separation of estrone.     

Preparation and mechanism of Fe3O4/Au core/shell super-paramagnetic microspheres

In the presence of Fe₃O₄ nano-particles, a new type of super-paramagnetic Fe₃O₄/Au microspheres with core/shell structures was prepared by reduction of Au³⁺ with hydroxylamine. The formation mechanism of the core/shell microspheres was studied in some detail. It was shown that the formation of the complex microspheres can be divided into two periods, that is, surface reaction-controlled process and diffusion-controlled process. The relative time lasted by either process depends upon the amount of Fe₃O₄ added and the initial concentration of Au³⁺. XPS analysis revealed that along with increasing in coating amount, the strength of the characteristic peaks of Au increased, and the Auger peaks of Fe weakened and even disappeared. Size distribution analysis showed that the core/shell microspheres are of an average diameter of 180 nm, a little bit larger than those before coating.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles based on modulation of tartaric acid

In this paper, monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with single crystalline structure were synthesized via a facile environment-friendly method. And the size of the nanoparticles ranges from 10 nm to 15 nm. As-synthesized Fe₃O₄ were characterized by X-ray diffraction instrument (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and field emission transmission electron microscope (FE-TEM). The effect of tartaric acid (TA) amount on products was investigated by XRD and TEM. The results indicated that TA could commendably modulate the crystalline phase, morphology and size of nanometer Fe₃O_4. A possible generated mechanism of Fe₃O₄ crystals was proposed in virtue of UV–vis absorption spectra. Besides, the magnetic properties of as-synthesized Fe₃O₄ were detected.     

Fe3O4–SiO2 nanocomposites obtained via alkoxide and colloidal route

The magnetic nanocomposite materials represent an important class of nanomaterials extensively studied nowadays due to their varied applications from medical diagnostic to storage information. The iron oxides in silica matrix systems are highly investigated. The sol-gel method is a suitable way of preparation of Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ nanocomposite materials, since this method allowed the preparation of nanocomposite materials with narrow size distribution of magnetite in silica matrix. In the present work, nanocomposite materials in the Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ system were prepared by sol-gel method via alkoxide and aqueous route. As SiO₂ sources, tetraethoxysilan (TEOS) for the alkoxide route, as well as silica sol Ludox (30%) for the aqueous route, were used. This study shows the influence of the type of silica matrix on the structure, size, and distribution of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ systems. The gels were annealed at 550°C in order to consolidate the matrices. The structural characterization of the obtained materials via the two preparation routes was performed by DTA/TGA analysis, X-ray diffraction, IR and Mössbauer spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED).     

Conducting and magnetic behaviors of monodispersed iron oxide/polypyrrole nanocomposites synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization

This study describes the preparation of nanocomposites fabricated from monodispersed iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) and polypyrrole (PPy) by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The monodispersed 4 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles which served as cores were synthesized using the thermal decomposition of a mixture of Iron (III) acetylacetonate and oleic acid in the presence of high boiling point solvents. The resulting nanoparticles were further dispersed in an aqueous solution with anionic surfactant sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate to form micelle/Fe₃O₄ spherical templates that avoid the aggregation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles during the further preparation of the nanocomposites. The Fe₃O₄/PPy nanocomposites were then synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on the surface of the spherical templates. Both field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images indicate that the resulting Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are close to spherical dots with a particle size of about 4 nm and a standard deviation of less than 5% (4 ± 0.2 nm). Structural and morphological analysis using FESEM and HRTEM showed that the fabricated Fe₃O₄/PPy nanocomposites are core (Fe₃O₄)‐shell (PPy) structures. Morphology of the nanocomposites shows a remarkable change from spherical to tube‐like structures as the content of monodispersed Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles increases from 9% up to 24 wt %. The conductivities of these Fe₃O₄/PPy nanocomposites are about six times higher than those of PPy without Fe₃O₄. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4647–4655, 2007