Synthesis of a morphology controllable Fe3O4 nanoparticle/hydrogel magnetic nanocomposite inspired by magnetotactic bacteria and its application in H2O2 detection

Abstract

Owing to the shape-dependent catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, controlling their morphology is of great significance. In this work, we propose a simple, nontoxic, water-based strategy for the fabrication of magnetic nanoparticle/hydrogel nanocomposites in which highly crystalline Fe₃O₄ nanooctahedra can be fabricated in situ within a negatively charged hydrogel matrix. The morphology of the Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals can be easily tuned by adjusting the crosslinking concentration of the hydrogel. Furthermore, the catalytic activities of the magnetic nanocomposites were studied, and the magnetic nanocomposite loaded with Fe₃O₄ nanooctahedra exhibited excellent catalytic activity and provided a sensitive response toward H₂O₂ detection. This scalable approach for the fabrication of magnetic nanocomposites, loaded with morphology controllable Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, potentially promotes their applications in biotechnology and environmental chemistry.