Synthesis and Characterization of Water Dispersible Iron Oxide ( ɣ-Fe2O3) Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

In this study, L-lysine coated �a-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical approach in two steps. In the first step �a-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by a polyol-reduction method. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of cubic maghemite phase with an average crystallite size of 9.2 nm. SEM analysis showed that the prepared �a-Fe2O3 nanoparticles have a spherical structural morphology with the tendency of agglomeration and with size in the range 8.36- 10.69 nm. The �a-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were coated with L-lysine in the second stage in an aqueous dispersion with ultrasonication followed by a gentle heating at 40��C. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of L-lysine on the nanoparticles surface and the Zeta potential also supported the coating of nanoparticles with a hydrophilic layer of amino acid (L-lysine) and a good stability in aqueous medium. Hysteresis loop shows a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature for both samples.