Three-dimensional magnetic graphene oxide foam/Fe3O4 nanocomposite as an efficient absorbent for Cr(VI) removal

We developed a novel three-dimensional (3D) graphene oxide foam/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite (GOF/Fe₃O₄) and evaluated its adsorption performance for Cr(IV) removal. The 3D free-standing graphene foam was firstly synthesized on nickel foam and then oxidized and magnetically functionalized with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles to form GOF/Fe₃O₄. The GOF/Fe₃O₄ exhibited a very large surface area of 574.2 m²/g, a high saturation magnetization of 40.2 emu/g, and a maximum absorption capacity of 258.6 mg/g for Cr(IV) removal, which significantly outperformed the reported 2D graphene-based adsorbents and other conventional adsorbents. The present work may offer a way to prepare a range of 3D magnetic graphene-based adsorbents for application in effective removal of heavy metal ions.     

Fe3O4 nanoparticle decorated novel magnetic metal oxide microcomposites for the catalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol for wastewater cleaning applications

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Co3O4, NiO and ZnO microparticles were decorated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles where novel Co3O4@Fe3O4, NiO@Fe3O4 and ZnO@Fe3O4 microcomposites...     

Characterisation of binary (Fe3O4/SiO2) biocompatible nanocomposites as magnetic fluid

This article describes coating of magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) with amorphous silica shells. Controlled co-precipitation technique under N₂ gas was used to prevent undesirable critical oxidation of Fe²⁺. The synthesised Fe₃O₄ NPs were first coated with trisodium citrate to achieve solution stability and then covered by SiO₂ layer using Stober method. For uncoated Fe₃O₄ NPs, the results showed an octahedral geometry with saturation magnetisation range of 82–96?emu/g and coercivity of 85–120?Oe for particles between 35 and 96?nm, respectively. The best value of specific surface area (41?m²/g) for Fe₃O₄ alone was obtained at 0.9?M NaOH at 750?rpm and it increased to about 81?m²/g for Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ combination. The total thickness and the structure of core–shell was measured and studied by transmission electron microscopy. The average particles size was about 50?nm, indicating the presence of about 15?nm SiO₂ layer. Finally, the stable magnetic fluid contained well-dispersed magnetite-silica nanocomposites which showed monodispersity and fast magnetic response.     

Composites of aminodextran-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles and graphene oxide for cellular magnetic resonance imaging

Formation of composites of dextran-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene oxide (Fe(3)O(4)-GO) and their application as T(2)-weighted contrast agent for efficient cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported. Aminodextran (AMD) was first synthesized by coupling reaction of carboxymethyldextran with butanediamine, which was then chemically conjugated to meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinnic acid-modified Fe(3)O(4) NPs. Next, the AMD-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs were anchored onto GO sheets via formation of amide bond in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). It is found that the Fe(3)O(4)-GO composites possess good physiological stability and low cytotoxicity. Prussian Blue staining analysis indicates that the Fe(3)O(4)-GO nanocomposites can be internalized efficiently by HeLa cells, depending on the concentration of the composites incubated with the cells. Furthermore, compared with the isolated Fe(3)O(4) NPs, the Fe(3)O(4)-GO composites show significantly enhanced cellular MRI, being capable of detecting cells at the iron concentration of 5 μg mL(-1) with cell density of 2 × 10(5) cells mL(-1), and at the iron concentration of 20 μg mL(-1) with cell density of 1000 cells mL(-1).     

Size-dependent ultrafast magnetization dynamics in iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanocrystals

Optically induced ultrafast demagnetization and its recovery in superparamagnetic colloidal iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanocrystals have been investigated via time-resolved Faraday rotation measurements. Optical excitation with near-infrared laser pulse resulted in ultrafast demagnetization in approximately 100 fs via the destruction of ferrimagnetic ordering. The degree of demagnetization increased with the excitation density, and the complete demagnetization reached at approximately 10% excitation density. The magnetization recovered on two time scales, several picoseconds and hundreds of picoseconds, which can be associated with the initial reestablishment of the ferrimagnetic ordering and the electronic relaxation back to the ground state, respectively. The amplitude of the slower recovery component increased with the size of the nanocrystals, suggesting the size-dependent ferrimagnetic ordering throughout the volume of the nanocrystal.     

Ni doped Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles

In this work, the effect of nickel doping on the structural and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles is analysed. Ni(x)Fe(3-x)O4 nanoparticles (x = 0, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.11) were obtained by chemical co-precipitation method, starting from a mixture of FeCl2 x 4H2O and Ni(AcO)2 x 4H2O salts. The analysis of the structure and composition of the synthesized nanoparticles confirms their nanometer size (main sizes around 10 nm) and the inclusion of the Ni atoms in the characteristic spinel structure of the magnetite Fe3O4 phase. In order to characterize in detail the structure of the samples, X-ray absorption (XANES) measurements were performed on the Ni and Fe K-edges. The results indicate the oxidation of the Ni atoms to the 2+ state and the location of the Ni2+ cations in the Fe2+ octahedral sites. With respect to the magnetic properties, the samples display the characteristic superparamagnetic behaviour, with anhysteretic magnetic response at room temperature. The estimated magnetic moment confirms the partial substitution of the Fe2+ cations by Ni2+ atoms in the octahedral sites of the spinel structure.     

石墨烯负载Fe_2O_3纳米复合材料及储能性能研究

针对锂离子电池体系,以提高负极材料可逆充放电容量为目的,制备了Fe2O3-石墨烯纳米复合材料,并利用XRD、SEM对其结构和形貌进行了表征分析,通过恒流充放电测试对其电化学性能进行系统研究。采用水热法成功制备了二元的Fe2O3-石墨烯纳米复合材料,纳米Fe2O3分布较为均匀,形貌多为菱形块状或类球状多面体,且与石墨烯片相互交叠,有效抑制了双方的团聚,形成了有利于储锂的堆砌结构。电化学性能测试表明,Fe2O3-石墨烯纳米复合材料的储锂性能大大优于石墨烯和纳米Fe2O3,30次循环后,可逆容量仍高达1 252mAh/g,循环性能优异;随着石墨烯加入量的增大,Fe2O3-石墨烯纳米复合材料的可逆容量越高。     

Electrospun magnetic poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) nanofibers by incorporating PLLA-stabilized Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Magnetic poly(l-lactide) (PLLA)/Fe₃O₄ composite nanofibers were prepared with the purpose to develop a substrate for bone regeneration. To increase the dispersibility of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) in the PLLA matrix, a modified chemical co-precipitation method was applied to synthesize Fe₃O₄ NPs in the presence of PLLA. Trifluoroethanol (TFE) was used as the co-solvent for all the reagents, including Fe(II) and Fe(III) salts, sodium hydroxide, and PLLA. The co-precipitated Fe₃O₄ NPs were surface-coated with PLLA and demonstrated good dispersibility in a PLLA/TFE solution. The composite nanofiber electrospun from the solution displayed a homogeneous distribution of Fe₃O₄ NPs along the fibers using various contents of Fe₃O₄ NPs. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and vibration sample magnetization (VSM) analysis confirmed that the co-precipitation process had minor adverse effects on the crystal structure and saturation magnetization (Ms) of Fe₃O₄ NPs. The resulting PLLA/Fe₃O₄ composite nanofibers showed paramagnetic properties with Ms directly related to the Fe₃O₄ NP concentration. The cytotoxicity of the magnetic composite nanofibers was determined using in vitro culture of osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) in extracts and co-culture on nanofibrous matrixes. The PLLA/Fe₃O₄ composite nanofibers did not show significant cytotoxicity in comparison with pure PLLA nanofibers. On the contrary, they demonstrated enhanced effects on cell attachment and proliferation with Fe₃O₄ NP incorporation. The results suggested that this modified chemical co-precipitation method might be a universal way to produce magnetic biodegradable polyester substrates containing well-dispersed Fe₃O₄ NPs. This new strategy opens an opportunity to fabricate various kinds of magnetic polymeric substrates for bone tissue regeneration.     

Fe3O4磁性纳米颗粒的合成及其调控

利用水解共沉淀法制备了Fe3O4纳米颗粒,研究了温度和pH值对Fe3O4纳米颗粒粒径、形貌的影响关系。研究结果表明,反应温度从30℃升高到90℃,Fe3O4颗粒的粒径从6～8nm增大到10～12nm;同时,Fe3O4颗粒的饱和磁矩也随着Fe3O4颗粒粒径的增加而升高。溶液pH值会影响Fe3O4纳米颗粒的形状,高pH值易使合成的Fe3O4纳米颗粒为四方形,随着pH值的降低,Fe3O4纳米颗粒向球形转变。Fe3O4纳米颗粒的粒径和形状的可控性为进一步合成、调控Fe3O4电磁功能复合材料奠定了良好基础。     

Optically transparent magnetic nanocomposites based on encapsulated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles in a sol-gel silica network

Composite Fe(3)O(4)-SiO(2) materials were prepared by the sol-gel method with tetraethoxysilane and aqueous-based Fe(3)O(4) ferrofluids as precursors. The monoliths obtained were crack free and showed both optical and magnetic properties. The structural properties were determined by infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. Fe(3)O(4) particles of 20?nm size lie within the pores of the matrix without any strong Si-O-Fe bonding. The well established silica network provides effective confinement to these nanoparticles. The composites were transparent in the 600-800?nm regime and the field dependent magnetization curves suggest that the composite exhibits superparamagnetic characteristics.     

Green fabrication of agar-conjugated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles are of great interest both for fundamental research and emerging applications. In the biomedical field, magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) has shown promise as a hyperthermia-based tumor therapeutic. However, preparing suitable solubilized magnetite nanoparticles is challenging, primarily due to aggregation and poor biocompatibility. Thus methods for coating Fe(3)O(4) NPs with biocompatible stabilizers are required. We report a new method for preparing Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles by co-precipitation within the pores of agar gel samples. Permeated agar gels were then dried and ground into a powder, yielding agar-conjugated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. Samples were characterized using XRD, FTIR, TGA, TEM and SQUID. This method for preparing agar-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles is environmentally friendly, inexpensive and scalable.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Ferromagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with diameter of ∼27 nm were prepared by a hydrothermal route in the presence of a surfactant, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT). The as-synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The hysteresis loops of the iron oxide nanoparticles were measured using a physical property measuring system (PPMS), and the results showed a superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature.     

Synthesis and characterization of Piperidine-4-carboxylic acid functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a magnetic catalyst for Knoevenagel reaction

Piperidine-4-carboxylic acid (PPCA) functionalized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as a novel organic–inorganic hybrid heterogeneous catalyst was fabricated and characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TGA, TEM and VSM techniques. Composition was determined as Fe₃O₄, while particles were observed to have spherical morphology. Size estimations using X-ray line profile fitting (10 nm), TEM (11 nm) and magnetization fitting (9 nm) agree well, revealing nearly single crystalline character of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Magnetization measurements reveal that PPCA functionalized Fe₃O₄ NPs have superparamagnetic features, namely immeasurable coercivity and absence of saturation. Small coercivity is established at low temperatures. The catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄–PPCA was probed through one-pot synthesis of nitro alkenes through Knoevenagel reaction in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature. The heterogeneous catalyst showed very high conversion rates (97%) and could be recovered easily and reused many times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.     

Removal of fluoride from aqueous media by Fe3O4@Al(OH)3 magnetic nanoparticles

A novel magnetic nanosized adsorbent using hydrous aluminum oxide embedded with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle (Fe₃O₄@Al(OH)₃ NPs), was prepared and applied to remove excessive fluoride from aqueous solution. This adsorbent combines the advantages of magnetic nanoparticle and hydrous aluminum oxide floc with magnetic separability and high affinity toward fluoride, which provides distinctive merits including easy preparation, high adsorption capacity, easy isolation from sample solutions by the application of an external magnetic field. The adsorption capacity calculated by Langmuir equation was 88.48 mg g^?1 at pH 6.5. Main factors affecting the removal of fluoride, such as solution pH, temperature, adsorption time, initial fluoride concentration and co-existing anions were investigated. The adsorption capacity increased with temperature and the kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation. The enthalpy change (ΔH⁰) and entropy change (ΔS⁰) was 6.836 kJ mol^?1 and 41.65 J mol^?1 K^?1, which substantiates the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the fluoride adsorption process. Furthermore, the residual concentration of fluoride using Fe₃O₄@Al(OH)₃ NPs as adsorbent could reach 0.3 mg L^?1 with an initial concentration of 20 mg L^?1, which met the standard of World Health Organization (WHO) norms for drinking water quality. All of the results suggested that the Fe₃O₄@Al(OH)₃ NPs with strong and specific affinity to fluoride could be excellent adsorbents for fluoride contaminated water treatment.     

Degradation of sulfamonomethoxine with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles as heterogeneous activator of persulfate

The photocatalytic HCrO(4)(-) reduction was investigated in air equilibrated solution using the spinel CuFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles as sensitizers. The oxide is p-type semi conductor, prepared from nitrates decomposition. The catalytic performance increases with decreasing pH and the concomitant oxidation of salicylic acid contributes significantly to the photoactivity through the charges separation of electron/hole pairs (C(7)H(6)O(3)+6 O(2)+4h(+)+3 H(2)O → 7 CO(2)+4 H(3)O(+)). Evidence has been given to show the advantages of the hetero-system CuFe(2)O(4)/CdS in the chromate reduction. CuFe(2)O(4) acts as electrons pump and the electron transfer to chromate is mediated via CdS hexagonal variety (greenockite). A reduction of 60% occurs and the process is well described by a pseudo first order kinetic with a half life of ～2.8h and a quantum yield of ～0.12% for an initial HCrO(4)(-) concentration of 3 × 10(-4)M. An improvement up to 72% is obtained when the reaction occurs in a stirred reactor and no cadmium was detected after 6h illumination. The results indicate a competitive effect with the water reduction. The hydrogen evolutions are found to be 0.236 and 0.960 cm(3)mn(-1)g(-1) in presence and in absence of HCrO(4)(-), respectively.     

Synthesis of novel magnetic iron metal-silica (Fe-SBA-15) and magnetite-silica (Fe(3)O(4)-SBA-15) nanocomposites with a high iron content using temperature-programed reduction

Magnetic iron metal-silica and magnetite-silica nanocomposites have been prepared via temperature-programed reduction (TPR) of an iron oxide-SBA-15 (SBA: Santa Barbara Amorphous) composite. TPR of the starting SBA-15 supported Fe(2)O(3) generated Fe(3)O(4) and FeO as stepwise intermediates in the ultimate formation of Fe-SBA-15. The composite materials have been characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometry. The Fe oxide and metal components form a core, as nanoscale particles, that is entrapped in the SBA-15 pore network. Fe(3)O(4)-SBA-15 and Fe-SBA-15 exhibited superparamagnetic properties with a total magnetization value of 17?emu?g(-1). The magnetite-silica composite (at an Fe(3)O(4) loading of 30%?w/w) delivered a magnetization that exceeded values reported in the literature or obtained with commercial samples. Due to the high pore volume of the mesoporous template, the magnetite content can be increased to 83%?w/w with a further enhancement of magnetization.     

Skull melter growth of magnetite (Fe3O4)

High quality equiaxed magnetite (Fe₃O₄) crystals, up to 2 cm in extension, have been grown in a skull melter in an atmosphere of CO₂ by slow lowering of the crucible out of the stationary work coil. X-ray powder diffraction and back reflection Laue photography indicate magnetite crystals, reflected polarized light microscopy of the boules reveals wüstite (Fe_1?x O) intergrowths restricted to a few microns of the grain boundaries and a thin layer (about 100 microns) of a hematite (Fe₂O₃) on the top of the boule. A comparison is made between results for skull crucibles of different sizes.