Iron oxychloride/bovine serum albumin nanosheets for catalytic H2O2 activation

In the present research, the nanosheets of iron oxychloride (FeOCl) in an aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was prepared by ultrasonication. The preparation process is feasible and green. It takes only 30 min of ultrasonication to exfoliate bulk FeOCl and convert it to BSA-stabilized nanosheets. Besides, no organic solvent was used during the production process. The exfoliation experiment was optimized by full factorial design. Characterization of the nanosheets showed that the average size of FeOCl-BSA nanosheets is around 300 nm. They are negatively charged and almost stable in aqueous dispersion after two weeks of storage at 4 degrees C. FeOCl-BSA nanosheets show superior catalytic activity toward H2O2 activation than that of the bulk material. Most importantly, they are relatively non-toxic to cells. The toxicity of these nanomaterials on 3D cell spheroids and 2D monolayer cell culture was evaluated using MTT assay and Live-Dead assay. It was observed that the toxicity of FeOCl-BSA nanosheets in 2D and 3D cell cultures was negligible. Overall, it is proposed that this work will broaden the application of FeOCl nanosheets in bio-based and catalytic systems.

Automated summary

In this study, BSA-stabilized FeOCl nanosheets with superior catalytic activity were successfully prepared using ultrasonication, and these nanosheets were almost stable in aqueous dispersion. Moreover, the research indicated that FeOCl-BSA nanosheets are relatively non-toxic to cells.