Template-assisted synthesis of mesoporous magnetic nanocomposite particles

A new concept is proposed to synthesize mesoporous magnetic nanocomposite particles of great scientific and technological importance. Mesoporous silica coatings were created on micrometer-sized magnetite (Fe3O4) particles using cetyltrimethylammonium chloride micelles as molecular templates. The characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, diffuse-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and zeta-potential measurements confirmed the deposition of mesoporous silica thin layers on the magnetite particles. The synthesized particles showed a drastic increase in specific surface area with an average pore size of 2.5 nm. The coating material showed a negligible effect on the saturation magnetization of the original particles that were fully protected by silica coatings. The synthesized mesoporous magnetic nanocomposite particles have a wide range, of applications in toxin removal, waste remediation, catalysis, reactive sorbents, and biological cell separations.