Novel magnetically separable mesoporous Fe2O3@SBA-15 nanocomposite with fully open mesochannels for protein immobilization

Abstract

Magnetically separable Fe2O3@SBA-15 nanocomposite with fully open mesochannels and bifunctional surface properties was prepared by selective deposition of iron oxide nanoparticles in the micropores of mesoporous SBA-15 silica with hydrophobic mesopore surface. The iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in the micropores were estimated to be composed of 67% α-Fe2O3 and 33% γ-Fe203, and the nanocomposite was found to exhibit superparamagnetic properties. With the bifunctional surface properties, the Fe2O3@SBA-15 nanocomposite showed enhanced adsorption capacity for cytochrome c and a maximum saturated uptake at neutral solution pH. © 2008 American Chemical Society.