Potential of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with carbon dots as a magnetic nanoadsorbent for DNA isolation

In this study, the potential of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with carbon dots (SPION@CDs) as a magnetic nano-adsorbent was studied for DNA bioseparation. The current research reports the core-shell structure of SPION@CDs synthesized using a onestep solvothermal method. The synthesized pH-sensitive SPION@CDs nanohybrid electrostatically isolated DNA at pH= 2 and released it at pH= 8, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 125.12 mu g/mg. The method was described by the charge switch of functional groups on the magnetic particle's surface. The Freundlich isotherm model with pseudosecond-order kinetics offered the best fit with R2 = 0.99. The (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium (MTT) assay results demonstrated that the cell viability of Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) stayed above 90% after 24 h at a high concentration (500 mu g/mL), showing high biocompatibility and low toxicity of SPION@CDs, which could be a potential candidate for biological applications. The binding ability of the nanohybrids to DNA were determined by electrophoresis and proved that the separation process was successful and the eluted DNA is suitable for subsequent biological processes. The results revealed that the novel nanohybrid (SPION@CDs) is an effective adsorbent for DNA separation due to its low cost, ease of fabrication, high extraction capacity, reusability, and protection of the DNA structure. (c) 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigates the potential of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with carbon dots (SPION@CDs) as a magnetic nano-adsorbent for DNA bioseparation. Core-shell SPION@CDs with a pH-sensitive property were synthesized using a one-step solvothermal method. The nanohybrid exhibited efficient DNA isolation and release at different pH values, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 125.12 μg/mg. It demonstrated high biocompatibility and low toxicity, making it a promising candidate for biological applications.