Abstract
The preparation of Fe3O4 from ferrous salt by air in alkaline aqueous solution at various temperatures was proposed. The synthetic magnetites have different particle size distributions. We studied the properties of the magnetite prepared by chemical methods compared with magnetotactic bacterial nanoparticles. The results show that crystallite size, morphology, and particle size distribution of chemically prepared magnetite at 293 K are similar to biosynthesis of magnetite. The new preparation of Fe3O4 helps to explain the mechanism of formation of magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria. The products are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectra, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Highlights
In nature, the mineralized tissues, such as bone, teeth, diatoms, and shells, are produced by biological organisms
The particle sizes of chemical magnetites are in the range of that produced by magnetotactic bacteria
The amount of reactants, pH, and temperature are optimized similar to ecological living of magnetotactic bacteria
Summary
The mineralized tissues, such as bone, teeth, diatoms, and shells, are produced by biological organisms. Biomineralization is the sophisticated process of production of these inorganic minerals by living organisms. The formation of magnetite (Fe3O4) particles by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) is one example of a biomineralization process [1]. The magnetosome particles are used in the manufacture of magnetic targeting of pharmaceuticals, cell separation, and their application as contrast-enhancement agents in magnetic resonance imaging [2]. The magnetite particle distributions in the magnetosome typically are 35 to 120 nm. The particle size distribution in the magnetosome is narrow, whereas a broader size range in some of the chemical synthesis grown crystals is common [3]. In MTB, the iron content per cell is in the range of 10−13 to 10−14 g and its estimates is 2% of the dry weight.
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