Mesoporous silica-magnetite nanocomposite synthesized by using a neutral surfactant

Magnetite nanoparticles coated by mesoporous silica were synthesized by an alternative chemical route using a neutral surfactant and without the application of any functionalization method. The magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation from aqueous media, and then coated with mesoporous silica by using nonionic block copolymer surfactants as the structure-directing agents. The mesoporous SiO2-coated Fe3O4 samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy, Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Our results revealed that the magnetite nanoparticles are completely coated by well-ordered mesoporous silica with free pores and stable (similar to 8 nm thick) pore walls, and that the structural and magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles are preserved in the applied synthesis route.