Structural Modification and Self-Assembly of Nanoscale Magnetite Synthesised in the Presence of an Anionic Surfactant

Abstract

The earliest reported medical use of magnetite powder for internal applications was in the 10th century A.D. by the Persian physician and philosopher Avicenna of Bokhara [1,2]. Today magnetic nanoparticles are used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and are potential colloidal mediators for cancer magnetic hyperthermia [3]. Twenty years ago magnetite (Fe3O4) was found to be present in the human brain [4] and more recently it has been reported that nanoscale biogenic magnetite (origin and formation uncertain) is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s [5]. Here we show that the synthesis of magnetite in the presence of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gives rise to a variety of nanoscale morphologies, some of which look remarkably similar to magnetite found in organisms, suggesting that similar processes may be involved. Furthermore, these 1D materials with diameters of quantum confined size are of interest in the areas of biosensors [6] and biomedical imaging [7].