Biomimetic Synthesis of Iron Oxide
Biomimetic Synthesis of Iron Oxide
Abstract
The suitable structural characteristics of magnetic nanoparticles have resulted in their widespread use in magnetic
hyperthermia therapy. Moreover, they are considered a proper and operational choice for pharmaceutical nanocar-
riers. Using the biomimetic method, we were able to produce iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles from the bacterial
source of PTCC1250, Bacillus megaterium, for therangostic diagnosis systems and targeted drug delivery. Some of the
benefits of this method include mitigated environmental and biological dangers, low toxicity, high biocompatibility,
cheap and short-term mass production possibilities in each synthesis round compared to other biological sources,
simple equipment required for the synthesis; and the possibility of industrial-scale production. Bacillus megaterium is
a magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) that has a magnetosome organelle capable of orienting based on external magnetic
fields, caused by the mineralization of magnetic nanocrystals. Utilizing this capability and adding an iron nitrate solu-
tion to the bacterial suspension, we synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles. The extent of synthesis was measured using
UV–visible spectrophotometry. The morphology was evaluated using FESEM. The crystallized structure was charac-
terized using RAMAN and XRD. The size and distribution of the nanoparticles were assessed using DLS. The surface
charge of the nanoparticles was measured using zeta potential. The synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles was con-
firmed using FT-IR, and the magnetic property was measured using VSM. This study is continued to identify industrial
and clinical applications.
Keypoints
Introduction
The production and synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles
*Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] in recent years due to their widespread applications have
2
Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat led to the focus of researchers all around the world on
Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3
the design of suitable synthesis pathways to reach bet-
Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences
and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran,
ter performance and a higher level of applicability. Vari-
Iran ous issues, including inherent magnetic properties, the
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article size and shape of the nanoparticles, stability in aquatic
© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which
permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the
original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or
other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this
licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 2 of 11
environments, non-toxicity of the surface coating, and between the shell and core phases, resulting in changes
the surface charge of the nanoparticles, must be consid- in the specific absorption rate, the occurrence of reversed
ered when synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles. To do magnetic states affecting inter-particle interactions,
so, selecting a suitable synthesis method is essential for and finally an increase in the conversion rate of energy
reaching the desired size and shape, suitable colloidal sta- into heat (Soleymani et al. 2020). Moreover, the single-
bility, and proper surface coating of the magnetic nano- vase hydrothermal method has been used for producing
particles (McGuire et al. 2016). In this context, methods iron oxide nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic acid to
based on natural inspirations have resulted in producing create environmental compatibility and the identifier
materials with unique characteristics. As a bonus, such ligand for breast cancer cells. Due to its narrow surface
methods do not suffer from the disadvantages plaguing charge distribution and colloidal stability under physi-
physicochemical methods, including high production ological conditions, environmental compatibility, and
costs, accumulation of toxic reagents, and constraints the property of targeting cancer cells, this product has
related to using such nanoparticles in biological appli- several theranostic and biomedical applications (Dutta
cations. Consequently, the synthesis of nanoparticles et al. 2020). Using iron oxide nanoparticles with a surface
using biological and nature-inspired methods can help charge of − 31 mV with a high loading tendency toward
improve our capability for producing desired nanoparti- the hydrophobic anti-breast cancer drug, curcumin, and
cles for medicinal and pharmaceutical purposes (Wang the pH-response method, researchers have been able to
and Wang 2014; Rajakumar et al. 2021; Turakhia et al. study and develop applications for stabilized micelles of
2019; Saif et al. 2016). Examples of such studies can be iron oxide nanoparticles for hyperthermia and to deliver
seen in the green synthesis of iron from sources such as the hydrophobic anti-cancer drugs (Andrade et al. 2020).
Indian lilac (Azadirachta indica), ginger roots, rambutan So far, there have been many studies on iron oxide-based
skin, bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants for the cheap and magnetic nanoparticles and their clinical applications. In
low-energy production of metal nanoparticles that are addition, various attempts have been made to develop
environmentally friendly (Zambri et al. 2019; Yuvakku- artificial and green synthesis pathways, resulting in dif-
mar and Hong 2014; Arakha et al. 2015; Xie et al. 2009; ferent anisotropic shapes of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanopar-
Xiao et al. 2020). Among the various methods proposed ticles and other ferrites (FeO) and the spherical shapes
for nanoparticle biosynthesis, the use of bacteria is of synthesized using common methods. It has been shown
particular importance (Hedayatnasab et al. 2020; Konishi that controlling the shape of nanoparticles can improve
2004). Some of the benefits of such a production method magnetic behavior, biological activity and various prop-
include an abundant and easily-available source that pro- erties such as surface and magnetic resonance imaging
vides quick returns, the high volume of nanoparticles (MRI) and make them an excellent choice for medical
produced in each round of synthesis, and compatibility applications (Yew et al. 2020). As a result, this study is
with the environment. Metal nanoparticles have attracted done to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles using Bacil-
much attention due to their unique optical character- lus megaterium to obtain a biological nanocarrier with
istics, catalytic properties, and electrical and magnetic desirable magnetic properties and higher compatibility
applications (Ankamwar et al. 2005). The use of iron than other biological models synthesized for use in novel
oxide nanoparticles in pharmaceutical and drug-related therapeutic applications including hyperthermia in the
research is based on their suitable magnetic properties, simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as
low toxicity, high compatibility, and easier synthesis com- cancer.
pared to other nanoparticles (Colombo et al. 2012). Using
microorganisms for synthesizing nanoparticles is gain-
ing more popularity as an alternative to industrial meth- Materials and methods
ods to improve the characteristics of the synthesized Materials and preparing the culture medium
nanoparticles. Magnetic hyperthermia therapy for can- and the bacteria
cer treatment is becoming more common as a suitable This study used the nutrient broth microbial culture
alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to its media (LB Broth, Merck KGaA, Germany). Moreover,
high targeting ability and low systemic toxicity (Simeo- the standard bacterial strain produced in the Center for
nidis et al. 2020). Furthermore, using iron oxide magnetic the Collection of Industrial and Infectious Fungi and
nanoparticles in shell-core structures to improve the Bacteria of the Iranian Organization for Scientific and
hyperthermia process for the diagnosis and/or treatment Industrial Research was utilized (Bacillus megaterium
of diseases such as cancer has boosted the efficiency of PTCC1250). In addition, iron (II) sulfate salt (Merck
hyperthermia through manipulating the interactions KGaA, Germany) was used for preparing the saline
solution.
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 3 of 11
Synthesizing the iron nanoparticles using Bacillus 4000 cm–1. Then, the vibration peak was compared to the
megaterium standard peak for the vibration of FeO to analyze the syn-
To synthesize the iron nanoparticles from the biological thesis qualitatively.
source, Bacillus megaterium, the bacteria were cultured
in the Nutrient Broth medium, followed by incubation at Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential
37 ℃. After ensuring the growth of the bacteria, the bac- measurement
terial suspension was mixed with the solution of iron sul- Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and the size of the parti-
fate at a concentration of 0.1 M with a ratio of 1:1, and cles were assessed by measuring the Brownian motion of
the synthesis was performed at room temperature. the particles or the movement of the nanoparticles pre-
sent in the suspension using a Zetasizer Zeta-DLS device
UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis) (Malvern, UK). Moreover, the analysis of the zeta poten-
The suspension containing the bacteria and the magnetic tial of the nanoparticles was performed by the device as a
iron nanoparticles, after filtration, underwent UV–vis- measure for determining the stability of the sample while
ible spectrophotometry. The absorption spectra of the determining the size of the nanoparticles.
synthesized nanoparticles were assessed using a spec-
trophotometric device (PerkinElmer Inc., Waltham, MA, Raman spectroscopy
USA) in the wavelength range of 200–700 nm at different Raman spectroscopy was performed on the liquid sam-
timeframes. ples using an XloRA Plus device (Horiba, Japan).
(d)
Fig. 1 a Bacterial suspension, b bacterial suspension and the salt solution at the onset, c the bacterial suspension and the salt solution after 20 min,
d UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis)
and an increase in the height of the peak (i.e., hypsoch- qualitatively and quantitatively measured using Field-
romic shift). This indicates the establishment of a strong Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM),
electrostatic attraction and a shift toward shorter wave- indicating the presence of Fe and O elements (Fig. 2b,
lengths caused by the solvent effect, i.e., replacement, c). Moreover, according to the obtained results, the Fe
which confirms the synthesis of the iron oxide nanoparti- element was present at low energy states and energy
cles (Russ 2013; Chen et al. 2015). Moreover, we observed levels closer to the nucleus (Fe L α ) with a high con-
an increase in the height of the peak over time; but this centration. At the same time, it was present with a
trend did not change significantly after a week. low concentration at energy levels further from the
Imaging using Field-Emission Scanning Electron nucleus at high energy states ( Feκβ ). It should be noted
Microscopy (FESEM) at the scale of 100 nm indicated that during the electron bombardment of the sample,
several particles in the range of 20–30 nm (Fig. 2a). the migration of the atoms from higher energy levels
Along with observing the image and morphology of toward lower energy levels to reach a stable state will
the sample using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy result in emitted photons. Therefore, the results of EDS
(EDS), the elemental combination of the sample was indicated that the sample contained regular varieties
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 5 of 11
Fig. 2 a Imaging using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), b, c element mapping using EDS
of iron oxide (DeGaetano et al. 1992; Wang et al. 2021; Jeevanandam 2013; Rajiv et al. 2017; Demirezen et al.
Hashimoto et al. 2007; Mishra et al. 2014; Hashimoto 2019a, b; Fu 2015; Lim et al. 2013).
et al. 2007; Devi et al. 2019a, b; Jagathesan and Rajiv Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was utilized as a non-
2018; Groiss et al. 2017; Devi et al. 2019a, b). destructive method for determining the size of the
Performing X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the sam- particles. The light scattered by the particles in the sus-
ple and matching the result with the standard diffrac- pension changes over time in a reversed relation with
tion sample of iron oxide-based on the source code of the particle diameter. The scattered light frequency
01-073-0603 indicated the presence of sample 29, con- by the fluid sample indicated the size of the particles
firming the synthesis of iron nanoparticles. The peak in the range of 600–900 nm (Fig. 4a). This increase in
observed for the sample at the 2 θ location was 35.2 diameter is higher than the size of the individual par-
with a height of 1.5 (Fig. 3a, b). Moreover, the results ticles observed in the image by the electron micro-
obtained from evaluating the crystallites and determin- scope. This may be due to the polydispersity of the
ing the phase and network parameters for the sample particles in the sample and/or the hydrodynamic radius
are presented in Table 1 (Saqib et al. 2019; Sharma and of the particles (Yang et al. 2014; Williams et al. 2006;
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 6 of 11
Fig. 3 a, b X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern for the suspension containing iron oxide, c Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), d Raman
spectroscopy
Kanagasubbulakshmi and Kadirvelu 2017; Cho et al. (Fig. 3c) (Lim et al. 2013; Kanagasubbulakshmi and
2012; Wang et al. 2013). Kadirvelu 2017).
The electrical surface charge of the nanoparticles was Raman spectroscopy, a molecular spectroscopy tech-
measured using the DLS device, indicating that the par- nique, has many similarities to infrared spectroscopy. It
ticles have colloidal stability with a zeta potential of should be noted that the bonds with stronger peaks in
1.55 mV (Fig. 4b) (Berg et al. 2009; Bhattacharjee 2016; the infrared spectrum will have weaker peaks in Raman
Arsalani et al. 2018; Malard et al. 2009; Talari et al. spectroscopy. As a consequence, when evaluating the
2015). electronegativity of the bonds, the electron cloud was
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was concentrated on the more electronegative atom. There-
performed on the samples, and the analysis of the data fore, when the Raman light hits, there is no observable
based on the FTIR spectrum indicates that region 545 polarization, resulting in a weak peak in Raman. In addi-
is related to Fe O and region 3470 is associated with tion, since our nanoparticles have been synthesized from
the tensile vibration of the OH group present in Fe O a biological source using a water solvent and Raman
spectra do not interfere with water, the intensity of the
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 7 of 11
Table 1 Network parameters for the sample Demirezen et al. 2019a, b; Bachheti et al. 2019; Zolfigol
Crystallographic parameters
and Yarie 2015; Salehiabar et al. 2018).
The magnetic behavior of the manufactured nanopar-
Crystal system Hexagonal ticle sample and the powder-like control was measured
Space group R-3c using VSM and by drawing the residual curve (Fig. 5).
Space group number 167 The results indicate that the manufactured sample has
a (A) 5.0342 ferromagnetic behaviors with very low values of coercive
b (A) 5.0342 force. Table 3 shows the values for magnetic parameters
c (A) 13.7483 such as saturation magnetism, residual magnetism, and
Alpha 90.0000 coercive force. The reduction in the saturation mag-
Beta 90.0000 netism can be due to surface effects such as spin cant-
Gamma 120.0000 ing, the partial oxidation of the surface of the particles,
Calculated density (g/cm3) 5.27 shifting away from the stoichiometric state, and most
Volume of cell (106 pm3) 301.75 importantly, the presence of the phases of impurity and
z 6.00 the non-magnetic particles of these phases, affecting the
RIR 0.06 value of this parameter (Yarie et al. 2016; Venkateswarlu
et al. 2014; Elhamifar et al. 2018; Pérez-Beltrán et al.
2021).
observed peak is not related to the water molecules, and
the least amount of polarizability reflects the vibrations. Discussion
Hence, based on the considerations mentioned above, As noted earlier, metal nanoparticles are produced
the results obtained from Raman spectroscopy, presented using various chemical and physical methods that
in Table 2 and Fig. 3d, indicate the presence of iron oxide impact their size, catalytic properties, and surface
NPs in the range (Slavov et al. 2010; Soler et al. 2012; Li characteristics. Among various methods and sources
et al. 2012; Yuvakkumar et al. 2014; Cheera et al. 2016; used for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles, using
Fig. 4 a Size distribution graph for the iron oxide nanoparticles, b Zeta potential diagram and the charge distribution of iron oxide particles
Table 2 The conditions and data for performing the Raman analysis
Date 14.06.2021 1 Acq. time (s) 8 Accumulations 1 Laser 785 nm_Edge
Spectro (cm-1) Hole (µm) 500 Slit (µm) 100 Grating 1200 (750 nm)
Filter 100% Objective x10_VIS ICS correction Off Range (cm-1)
Date 14.06.2021 1 Acq. time (s) 8 Accumulations 1 Laser 785 nm_Edge
Spectro (cm-1) Hole (µm) 500 Slit (µm) 100 Grating 1200 (750 nm)
Filter 100% Objective x10_VIS ICS correction Off Range (cm-1)
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 8 of 11
0.3
of previous studies. We made sure of the synthesis of
iron oxide nanoparticles through these comparisons.
0.2 The synthesized nanoparticles have a close hexago-
0.1 nal pack (HCP) structure. In this structure, the atoms
of one of the alternating layers are localized to the gap
0
-20000 -15000 -10000 -5000 0 5000 10000 15000 20000
between the atoms of previous layers, similar to an
-0.1 FCC structure. However, instead of a cubic structure,
the structure is hexagonal. This is why the synthesized
-0.2
iron oxide shows rhombohedric grid characteristics,
-0.3 on the one hand, similar to a type of iron oxide called
-0.4
hematite ( Fe2 O3 ) i.e., a brown to gray color, and on the
other hand, it has a spherical shape with hexagonal grid
-0.5 characteristics as reported in the FESEM imaging. One
Applied Field (Oe)
reason for this phenomenon can be the difference in
Fig. 5 The VSM spectrum diagram
the grid parameter in different directions in the HCP
structure. Another reason, according to the studies
performed by Barlow (1883–1897), spherical particles
Table 3 Values for magnetic parameters, including saturation are localized by maintaining the distance of twice the
magnetism, residual magnetism, and coercive force radius between the two centers of the spheres, except
Sample Hc (Oe) Ms (emu/g) Mr (emu/g) for a distance jump with a value of r in the direction
of the X-axis. In other words, the center of the sphere
Control 25.21 0.11 0.0006
in the lower row is along the X-axis at the connection
Fe O 185.25 0.34 0.021
between the two spheres of the upper row. This causes
the spheres in the new row to be closer to the spheres
of the first row until all the spheres of the new row are
bacteria as a source for producing metal NPs is espe- in the location of the connection between the spheres
cially significant. The current study uses distilled water in the upper row. Since the new spheres are in contact
as a non-polar solvent to avoid changes in the sample’s with the two spheres, their centers create an equilateral
polarity and a solvent without phase interference in all triangle with the centers of the surrounding spheres.
samples to dilute the samples in an attempt to increase The sides of this triangle have a length of2r . The con-
the light passing through the sample. According to the figuration of these equilateral triangles results in the
Beer-Lambert law, the degree of light passing through dense hexagonal structure of the synthesized iron oxide
a sample is expressed in percentage. Since the absorb- nanoparticles with the minimum possible distance.
ance and passage of the light both lack a physical unit, Consequently, the synthesized nanoparticles have a
we expressed light absorption as values in the wave- structure comparable to that of metals with a good den-
length using the unit of nanometers while considering sity number (the ratio of c to a). Moreover, the crystal
light absorption as a significant reduction in the pass- structure of metals has different levels of stability at dif-
ing spectrum, indicating the presence of the specific ferent temperatures, which affects the characteristics of
material. Furthermore, since the height of the absorp- the synthesized metal nanoparticles and their applica-
tion peaks is directly related to the concentration of the tions. A week after the synthesis, we did not observe
material, the height of the absorption peak relative to any changes in the grid characteristics of the nanopar-
the concentration of the sample indicated the accuracy ticles, ensuring us that the produced nanoparticles are
of the nanoparticle synthesis. In addition, since the iron appropriate for pharmaceutical and industrial appli-
oxide nanoparticles had been synthesized in an aque- cations. As noted earlier, according to the results of
ous environment, all analyses were performed on the FESEM imaging, the synthesized nanoparticles have a
colloidal solution of nanoparticles to ensure the accu- small size and an acceptable homogeneity based on the
racy of synthesis before investing the costs required for value of the PDI measure. Furthermore, the large size of
purification. Since the shift in the location of the peaks the NPs relative to conventional chemotherapy agents
depends on factors such as the intensity of the laser or drugs based on biological macromolecules allows
shined on the sample and/or the size of the produced combining them with several supportive components,
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 9 of 11
active pharmaceutical compounds, and/or surface cor- Availability of data and materials
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published
rection. In addition, the smart selection of these com- article [and its supplementary information files].
ponents, depending on the application considered for
the NPs synthesized in the current study, can signifi- Declarations
cantly impact the resonance stability of the particles
and facilitate their targeting and stimulus-based acti- Ethics approval and consent to participate
“This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals
vation. The zeta potential analysis is used to determine performed by any of the authors”.
the degree of repulsion/attraction or the electrostatic
charges between the particles and a measure of stabil- Consent for publication
Not applicable.
ity in colloidal systems (Arias et al. 2018; Gentili 2020;
Vangijzegem et al. 2019; Silva et al. 2019). The obtained Competing interests
results show the desired level of surface charge for the Not applicable.
synthesized NPs and the paramagnetic property of Author details
these nanoparticles. Therefore, these NPs can be a good 1
Department of Nanobiomimetic, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technol-
candidate for designing Janus particles as pharmaceu- ogy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. 2 Depart-
ment of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat Modares
tical nanocarriers capable of carrying hydrophilic and University, Tehran, Iran. 3 Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty
hydrophobic drugs and a good candidate for diagnosis of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad
purposes using the hyperthermia method. The solu- University, Tehran, Iran.
bility of these NPs in water can be considered a great Received: 28 October 2022 Accepted: 3 November 2022
solution for a group of anticancer medications with a
low level of solubility in water. In addition, they can be
placed inside the structure of Janus particles to create a
structure with two functional parts, where one part is References
the magnetic iron NPs, and the other part can include Andrade RG, Veloso SR, Castanheira E (2020) Shape anisotropic iron oxide-
various functional molecules (Estelrich et al. 2015; Wil- based magnetic nanoparticles: synthesis and biomedical applications int.
J Mol Sci 21(7):2455
lis et al. 2020). Therefore, the synthesized NPs can be Ankamwar B, Damle C, Ahmad A, Sastry M (2005) Biosynthesis of gold and
used to produce nano dendrimers capable of carrying silver nanoparticles using Emblica Officinalis fruit extract, their phase
drugs for drug delivery to different tumor tissues with transfer and transmetallation in an organic solution. J Nanosci Nanotech-
nol 5(10):1665–1671
magnetic orientations under external magnetic fields Arakha M, Pal S, Samantarrai D, Panigrahi TK, Mallick BC, Pramanik K, Mallick B,
(Gottimukkala et al. 2017; Venkateswarlu et al. 2014, Jha S (2015) Antimicrobial activity of iron oxide nanoparticle upon modu-
2014; Gottimukkala et al. 2017). Finally, by designing lation of nanoparticle-bacteria interface. Sci Rep 5(1):1–2
Arias LS, Pessan JP, Vieira AP, Lima TM, Delbem AC, Monteiro DR (2018) Iron
the experiment in a simple way and using the biologi- oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications: a perspective on synthe-
cal characteristics of Bacillus megatrium, we choose the sis, drugs, antimicrobial activity, and toxicity. Antibiotics 7(2):46
incubation time in such a way that we produce smaller Arsalani S, Guidelli EJ, Araujo JF, Bruno AC, Baffa O (2018) Green synthesis
and surface modification of iron oxide nanoparticles with enhanced
and more uniform nanoparticles with a different struc- magnetization using natural rubber latex. ACS Sustain Chem Eng
ture compared to the research of Sepideh Ghani and 6(11):13756–13765
colleagues. With further investigations on the charac- Bachheti RK, Konwarh R, Gupta V, Husen A, Joshi A (2019) Green synthesis
of iron oxide nanoparticles: cutting edge technology and multifaceted
teristics of the produced nanoparticles, several thera- applications. In: Husen A, Iqbal M (eds) Nanomaterials and plant poten-
peutic capabilities of them are introduced to other tial. Springer, Cham, pp 239–259
researchers for practical and pre-clinical tests for use in Berg JM, Romoser A, Banerjee N, Zebda R, Sayes CM (2009) The relationship
between pH and zeta potential of − 30 nm metal oxide nanoparticle
therapy (Ghani et al. 2017). suspensions relevant to in vitro toxicological evaluations. Nanotoxicology
3(4):276–283
Acknowledgements Bhattacharjee S (2016) DLS and zeta potential–what they are and what they
Not applicable. are not? J Controlled Release 235:337–351
Bishnoi S, Kumar A, Selvaraj R (2018) Facile synthesis of magnetic iron oxide
Author contributions nanoparticles using inedible Cynometra ramiflora fruit extract waste and
SH: Performing experiments, analyzed data, wrote the manuscript, read and their photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye. Mater Res Bull
approved the manuscript. SD: Conceived and designed research, conducted 97:121–127
experiments, contributed new reagents or analytical tools, analyzed data, Cheera P, Karlapudi S, Sellola G, Ponneri V (2016) A facile green synthesis of
read and approved the manuscript. SD: Conducted experiments, contributed spherical Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles and their effect on degradation
new reagents or analytical tools. All authors read and approved the final of methylene blue in aqueous solution. J Mol Liq 221:993–998
manuscript. Chen Z, D’Alfonso AJ, Weyland M, Taplin DJ, Allen LJ, Findlay SD (2015) Energy
dispersive X-ray analysis on an absolute scale in scanning transmission
Funding electron microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 157:21–26
Not applicable. Cho WS, Duffin R, Thielbeer F, Bradley M, Megson IL, MacNee W, Poland CA,
Tran CL, Donaldson K (2012) Zeta potential and solubility to toxic ions
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 10 of 11
as mechanisms of lung inflammation caused by metal/metal oxide Li YS, Church JS, Woodhead AL (2012) Infrared and raman spectroscopic stud-
nanoparticles. Toxicol Sci 126(2):469–477 ies on iron oxide magnetic nano-particles and their surface modifica-
Colombo M, Carregal-Romero S, Casula MF, Gutiérrez L, Morales MP, Böhm tions. J Magn Magn Mater 324(8):1543–1550
IB, Heverhagen JT, Prosperi D, Parak WJ (2012) Biological applications of Lim J, Yeap SP, Che HX, Low SC (2013) Characterization of magnetic nanoparti-
magnetic nanoparticles. Chem Soc Rev 41(11):4306–4334 cle by dynamic light scattering. Nanoscale Res Lett 8(1):1–4
DeGaetano D, Siegel JA, Klomparens KL (1992) A comparison of three Malard LM, Pimenta MA, Dresselhaus G, Dresselhaus MS (2009) Raman spec-
techniques developed for sampling and analysis of gunshot residue by troscopy in graphene. Phys Rep 473:51–87
scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM- McGuire B, Atadero R, Clevenger C, Ozbek M (2016) Bridge information mod-
EDX). J Forensic Sci 37(1):281–300 eling for inspection and evaluation. J Bridge Eng 21(4):04015076
Demirezen DA, Yıldız YŞ, Yılmaz Ş, Yılmaz DD (2019a) Green synthesis and Mishra D, Arora R, Lahiri S, Amritphale SS, Chandra N (2014) Synthesis and
characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles using Ficus carica (com- characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles by solvothermal method.
mon fig) dried fruit extract. J Biosci Bioeng 127(2):241–245 Prot Met Phys Chem 50(5):628–631
Demirezen DA, Yıldız YŞ, Yılmaz DD (2019b) Amoxicillin degradation using Pérez-Beltrán CH, García-Guzmán JJ, Ferreira B, Estevez-Hernandez O, Lopez-
green synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles: kinetics and mechanism Iglesias D, Cubillana-Aguilera L, Link W, Stănică N, da Costa AMR, Palacios-
analysis. Environ Nanotechnol Monit Manag 11:100219 Santander JM (2021) One-minute and green synthesis of magnetic iron
Devi HS, Boda MA, Shah MA, Parveen S, Wani AH (2019a) Green synthesis oxide nanoparticles assisted by design of experiments and high energy
of iron oxide nanoparticles using Platanus orientalis leaf extract for ultrasound: application to biosensing and immunoprecipitation. Mater
antifungal activity. Green Process Synth 8(1):38–45 Sci Eng 123:112023
Devi HS, Boda MA, Shah MA, Parveen S, Wani AH (2019b) Green synthesis Rajakumar G, Mao L, Bao T, Wen W, Wang S, Gomathi T, Gnanasundaram N,
of iron oxide nanoparticles using Platanus orientalis leaf extract for Rebezov M, Shariati MA, Chung IM, Thiruvengadam M (2021) Yttrium
antifungal activity green process. Synth 8(1):38–45 oxide nanoparticle synthesis: an overview of methods of preparation and
Dutta B, Rawoot YA, Checker S, Shelar SB, Barick KC, Kumar S, Somani RR, biomedical applications. Appl Sci 11(5):2172
Hassan PA (2020) Micellar assisted aqueous stabilization of iron oxide Rajiv P, Bavadharani B, Kumar MN, Vanathi P (2017) Synthesis and charac-
nanoparticles for curcumin encapsulation and hyperthermia applica- terization of biogenic iron oxide nanoparticles using green chemistry
tion. Nano-Struct Nano-Objects 22:100466 approach and evaluating their biological activities. Biocatal Agric
Elhamifar D, Ramazani Z, Norouzi M, Mirbagheri R (2018) Magnetic iron Biotechnol 12:45–9
oxide/phenylsulfonic acid: a novel, efficient and recoverable nanocata- Russ JC (2013) Fundamentals of energy dispersive X-ray analysis: butterworths
lyst for green synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo [b] pyrans under ultrasonic monographs in materials. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford
conditions. J Colloid Interface Sci 511:392–401 Saif S, Tahir A, Chen Y (2016) Green synthesis of iron nanoparticles and their
Estelrich J, Escribano E, Queralt J, Busquets MA (2015) Iron oxide nano- environmental applications and implications. J Nanomater 6(11):209
particles for magnetically-guided and magnetically-responsive drug Salehiabar M, Nosrati H, Davaran S, Danafar H, Manjili HK (2018) Facile synthesis
delivery. Int J Mol Sci 16(4):8070–8101 and characterization of l-aspartic acid coated iron oxide magnetic nano-
Fu C, Ma H, Huang C (2015) A simple and dual functional dynamic light particles (IONPs) for biomedical applications. Drug Res 68(05):280–285
scattering (DLS) probe for rapid detection of mercury ions and biothi- Saqib S, Munis MF, Zaman W, Ullah F, Shah SN, Ayaz A, Farooq M, Bahadur S
ols. Food Anal Methods 7(18):7455–7460 (2019) Synthesis, characterization and use of iron oxide nano particles for
Gentili A (2020) Cyclodextrin-based sorbents for solid phase extraction. J antibacterial activity. Microsc Res Tech 82(4):415–420
Chromatogr A 1609:460654 Sharma G, Jeevanandam P (2013) Synthesis of self-assembled prismatic iron
Ghani S, Rafiee B, Sadeghi D, Ahsani M (2017) Biosynthesis of iron nano -par- oxide nanoparticles by a novel thermal decomposition route. RSC Adv
ticles by Bacillus megaterium and its anti -bacterial properties. J Babol 3(1):189–200
Univ Med Sci 19(7):13–19 Silva FL, Zin G, Rezzadori K, Longo LC, Tiggemann L, Soares LS, Petrus JC, de
Gottimukkala KS, Harika RP, Zamare D (2017) Green synthesis of iron Oliveira JV, Di Luccio M (2019) Changes in the physico-chemical charac-
nanoparticles using green tea leaves extract. J Nanomed Biother Discov teristics of a protein solution in the presence of magnetic field and the
7:151 consequences on the ultrafiltration performance. J Food Eng 242:84–93
Groiss S, Selvaraj R, Varadavenkatesan T (2017) Vinayagam R. Structural char- Simeonidis K, Martinez-Boubeta C, Serantes D, Ruta S, Chubykalo-Fesenko
acterization, antibacterial and catalytic effect of iron oxide nanopar- O, Chantrell R, Oró-Solé J, Balcells L, Kamzin AS, Nazipov RA, Makridis A
ticles synthesised using the leaf extract of Cynometra ramiflora. J Mol (2020) Controlling magnetization reversal and hyperthermia efficiency
Struct 1128:572–578 in core–shell iron–iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles by tuning the
Hashimoto H, Yokoyama S, Asaoka H, Kusano Y, Ikeda Y, Seno M, Takada J, interphase coupling. ACS Appl Nano Mater 3(5):4465–4476
Fujii T, Nakanishi M, Murakami R (2007) Characteristics of hollow micro- Slavov L, Abrashev MV, Merodiiska T, Gelev C, Vandenberghe RE, Markova-
tubes consisting of amorphous iron oxide nanoparticles produced Deneva I, Nedkov I (2010) Raman spectroscopy investigation of magnet-
by iron oxidizing bacteria Leptothrix Ochracea. J Magn Magn Mater ite nanoparticles in ferrofluids. J Magn Magn Mater 322(14):1904–1911
310(2):2405–2407 Soler MA, Qu F. (2012) Raman spectroscopy of iron oxide nanoparticles. In:
Hedayatnasab Z, Dabbagh A, Abnisa F, Daud WM (2020) Polycaprolactone- Challa S S R Kumar (Eds). Raman spectroscopy for nanomaterials charac-
coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for in vitro mag- terization. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Heidelberg. 379-416
netic hyperthermia therapy of cancer. Eur Polym J 133:109789 Soleymani M, Velashjerdi M, Shaterabadi Z, Barati A (2020) One-pot prepara-
Humar J (2012) Dynamics of structures. CRC Press, Boca Raton. https://doi. tion of hyaluronic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic
org/10.1201/b11772 hyperthermia therapy and targeting CD44-overexpressing cancer cells.
Jagathesan G, Rajiv P (2018) Biosynthesis and characterization of iron oxide Carbohydr Polym 237:116130
nanoparticles using Eichhornia crassipes leaf extract and assessing their Talari AC, Movasaghi Z, Rehman S, Rehman IU (2015) Raman spectroscopy of
antibacterial activity. Biocatal Agric Biotechnol 13:90–94 biological tissues. Appl Spectrosc Rev 50(1):46–111
Kanagasubbulakshmi S, Kadirvelu K (2017) Green synthesis of iron oxide Turakhia B, Chikkala S, Shah S (2019) Novelty of bioengineered iron nanopar-
nanoparticles using Lagenaria siceraria and evaluation of its antimicro- ticles in nanocoated surgical cotton: a green chemistry. Adv Pharmacol
bial activity. Def Life Sci J 2(4):422–427 Sci 3:2019
Kebede A, Gholap AV, Rai AK (2011) Impact of laser energy on synthesis Vangijzegem T, Stanicki D, Laurent S (2019) Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
of iron oxide nanoparticles in liquid medium. World J Nano Sci Eng for drug delivery: applications and characteristics. Expert Opin Drug Deliv
1(4):89–92 16(1):69–78
Konishi Y (2004) Microbial preparation of gold nanoparticles by anaerobic Venkateswarlu S, Kumar BN, Prasad CH, Venkateswarlu P, Jyothi NV (2014)
bacterium. Trans Mater Res Soc Jpn 29:2341–2343 Bio-inspired green synthesis of Fe3O4 spherical magnetic nanoparticles
Koutzarova T, Kolev S, Ghelev C, Paneva D, Nedkov I (2006) Microstructural using Syzygium cumini seed extract. Phys B: Condens Matter 449:67–71
study and size control of iron oxide nanoparticles produced by micro- Wang EC, Wang AZ (2014) Nanoparticles and their applications in cell and
emulsion technique. Phys Status Solidi C 3(5):1302–7 molecular biology. Integr Biol 16(6):9–26
Hajiali et al. AMB Express (2022) 12:145 Page 11 of 11
Wang N, Hsu C, Zhu L, Tseng S, Hsu JP (2013) Influence of metal oxide nano-
particles concentration on their zeta potential. J Colloid Interface Sci
407:22–28
Wang G, Olszta MJ, Saslow SA, Kim DS, Bowden ME, Um W, Wang J, Kruger AA
(2021) A focused ion beam-scanning transmission electron microscopy
with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy study on technetium incor-
poration within iron oxides through Fe (OH) 2 (s) mineral transformation.
ACS Earth Space Chem 5(3):525–534
Williams DN, Ehrman SH, Pulliam Holoman TR (2006) Evaluation of the micro-
bial growth response to inorganic nanoparticles. J Nanobiotechnology
4(1):1–8
Willis AJ, Pernal SP, Gaertner ZA, Lakka SS, Sabo ME, Creighton FM, Engelhard
HH (2020) Rotating magnetic nanoparticle clusters as microdevices for
drug delivery. Int J Nanomed 15:4105
Xiao C, Li H, Zhao Y, Zhang X, Wang X (2020) Green synthesis of iron nanoparti-
cle by tea extract (polyphenols) and its selective removal of cationic dyes.
J Environ Manage 275:111262
Xie J, Huang J, Li X, Sun S, Chen X (2009) Iron oxide nanoparticle platform for
biomedical applications. Curr Med Chem 16(10):1278–1294
Yang SC, Ryu J, Choi KO, Kang TS, Lee JK, Song CW, Ko S (2014) Dynamic light
scattering-based method to determine primary particle size of iron oxide
nanoparticles in simulated gastrointestinal fluid. Food Chem 161:185–191
Yarie M, Zolfigol MA, Bayat Y, Asgari A, Alonso DA, Khoshnood A (2016) Novel
magnetic nanoparticles with ionic liquid tags as a reusable catalyst in the
synthesis of polyhydroquinolines. RSC Adv 6(86):82842–82853
Yew YP, Shameli K, Mohamad SE, Lee KX, Teow SY (2020) Green synthesized
montmorillonite/carrageenan/Fe3O4 nanocomposites for pH-responsive
release of protocatechuic acid and its anticancer activity. Int J Mol Sci
21(14):4851
Yuvakkumar R, Hong SI (2014) Green synthesis of spinel magnetite iron oxide
nanoparticles. Adv Mat Res 1051:39–42
Zambri ND, Taib NI, Abdul Latif F, Mohamed Z (2019) Utilization of Neem
leaf extract on biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. Molecules
24(20):3803
Zolfigol MA, Yarie M (2015) Synthesis and characterization of novel silica-
coated magnetic nanoparticles with tags of ionic liquid application in the
synthesis of polyhydroquinolines. RSC Adv 5(125):103617–24
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in pub-
lished maps and institutional affiliations.