One-step synthesis of biocompatible magnetite/silk fibroin core–shell nanoparticles

Abstract

A one-step hydrothermal process with silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers as the template and coating was developed to synthesize core–shell magnetite/SF nanoparticles with limited controllable sizes. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles gradually aggregated into nanospheres with sizes increased from 120 to 500 nm by increasing the SF content in the reaction system. The magnetic properties and biocompatibility of Fe₃O₄/SF nanoparticles, as well as their functional ability with antibodies are also discussed to assess their possible applications in MRI and bio-separation. Compared to previous two-step processes, our one-step method provides a simpler and more cost-effective approach to prepare biocompatible core–shell magnetite nanoparticles.