Nano-structured Fe3O4 (Magnetite) Powder Synthesis using Co-Precipitation Method for Bio-separation Applications

Title : Nano-structured Fe3O4 (Magnetite) Powder Synthesis using Co-Precipitation Method for Bio-separation Applications

Abstract:

Magnetic separation is one of the most efficient and rapid isolation technique for many biomedical applications such as gene therapy and clinical diagnosis where alternatives could harm the target molecule [1]. Herein this work, superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ powders were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized for its potential applications in DNA extraction & purification. Proposed method was optimized by adjusting the pH and the stabilizer concentration. As a result, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles that show superparamagnetic characteristic and aggregated morphology was obtained in high purity. Formed phases were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphological analysis and particle size distribution of the synthesized powders were done by both Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Scherrer Formula. Results have suggested that the synthesized particles were in the size of micrometer which made up from nanoparticles between 50 - 110 nm in size. Magnetic property of Fe₃O₄ were measured using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). According to results, Fe₃O₄ particles have shown superparamagnetic behaviour, in the value of 40 emu/g. where superparamagnetic ability arises from the nanosized crystallites and nanoparticles present in the structure. Comprehensively, Co-precipitation of Fe₃O₄ particles with proposed pH and stabilizer concentration, offers easy and non-toxic powder synthesis with a short reaction time which is believed to enable industrial scale Fe₃O₄ powder production. Usage of Fe₃O₄ particles produced with this method could widen the use of magnetic separation processes in DNA extraction and purification.

Audience take-away:

• This work contains general characterization approaches for a powder material where it comprises of XRD, SEM and their empirical calculations where the phase purity and crystallite size of the specimen can be found theoretically.
• Additionally, effect of phase purity and crystallite size of the specimens on magnetic property of the powders will be explained.
• Chemical precipitation basics and parameters, used to produce nano-structured powders will be explained where the same approach could be used in alternative nano-powder synthesis.
• The relation between particle size and crystallite (nucleis in the particle) size and their effect on magnetic property will also be explained in the presentation.

Biography:

Mert Saraçoğlu studied Material and Metallurgy Engineering at the İstanbul Technical University, Turkey and graduated in 2021. Currently applied for MSc degree in the same university, the research group of Prof. Servet Timur. Where he worked for two and half year in the topic of nano & micro particle synthesis.