High throughput human DNA purification with aminosilanes tailored silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles

This work described the development of high throughput human DNA purification process with the amino-functionalized silica coated magnetic nanoparticles. The magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized with average particle size of 9 nm and silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles were obtained by controlling the coating thicknesses on magnetic nanoparticles. The silica coating thickness could be uniform-sized in the diameter of 10-40 nm by a sot-gel approach. The surface modification was performed with amino-functionalized organic silanes on silica coated magnetic nanoparticles. The spectroscopic measurements. such as a FT-IR (ATR-method) and Vibrational Sample Magnetometer (VSM) were used to characterize the chemical structures and magnetic strengths. To elucidate the relationship among the surface area, pore size distribution and reactivity of the materials, XRD, TEM, BET and Zeta potential were used. The use of functionalized self-assembled magnetic nanoparticles for human DNA separation process gives a lot of advantages rather than the conventional silica based process. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.