Facile Synthesis of Magnetically Separable Nanozeolites for Bio-Applications

Zeolite nanocrystals combined with super paramagnetic magnetite nanoparticles have been synthesised using a facile chemical route: Hydrophilic nanoparticles of magnetite (MNP) and pure silica zeolite (silicalite-1) were synthesized. Nanoparticles of magnetite and zeolite (Z) were dispersed in water in the molar ratio of 1:1 followed by hydrothermal treatment at 175 degrees C for 2 hrs. The product was collected using a magnet. X-ray diffraction and TEM analyses as well as magnetic measurements confirm the formation of the zeolite-magnetite core-shell nanoparticles (ZMNP). The average particles size of the ZMNP is about 100 nm. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption curves reveals that the sample is micro porous. The prepared ZNMP nanoparticles show a satisfactory adsorption capacity for biomolecules, i.e., 178 mg of hemoglobin per g of nanoparticles at pH 7.0.