Preparation and characterization of magnetite nanoparticles coated by amino silane

Magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ with NH4OH, and then, amino silane was coated onto the surface of the magnetite nanoparticles. Transmission electronic microscopy shows the average size of 7.5 nm in diameter. Powder X-ray diffraction and electronic diffraction measurements show the spinel structure for the magnetite nanoparticles. FT–IR spectra indicate that amino silane molecules have been bound onto the surface of the magnetite nanoparticles by FeOSi chemical bonds. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) indicates atomic ratio of 96.75:3.25 for Fe:Si, implying a nearly monolayer coating of amino silane on the magnetite particle surface according to a rough calculation. By an enzyme-linked assay, it was proved that the amino silane-coated magnetite nanoparticles could significantly improve the protein immobilization.