Reversible aggregation and chemical resistance of magnetic nanoclusters for their recycling and repetitive use in industrial bioprocesses

Abstract

Magnetic nanclusters are widely used as carriers for biomedical and bioindustrial applications. 12 The chemical resistance of the nanoclusters is a key factor for the recycling the magnetic beads 13 for a repetitive use in the industrial bioprocesses. In this work, a study of the chemical resistance 14 of Fe2O3 silica-coated nanoclusters at different pH is presented. The use of Horizontal Low 15 Gradient Magnetic Field (HLGMF) for the control and separation of the magnetic nanoclusters at 16 diferent magnetic field gradients is also investigated. For these purposes Fe2O3 silica-coated 17 nanoclusters are synthesised and characreized by SQUID, TEM, Zeta potential techniques. The 18 magnetophoresis study was performed at 15 T/m and 30 T/m magnetic field gradients. 19 Recycling aspects of the nanoclusters were estimated by evaluating their resistance to pH 20 variation from acid to basic solutions of about pH 2.5 and 10.