The structure and composition of iron nanoparticles stabilized by carboxymethyl chitin resulting from ultrasonic irradiation

Abstract

The methods of sonochemistry and “green” nanotechnology were used to develop a single-stage process to transfer iron nanoparticles from their micellar solution in isooctane to aqueous solution of carboxymethyl chitin excluding an intermediate stage of producing iron nanoparticulate dispersion in water. The structure and dimensions of iron nanoparticles in a macromolecular system based on 6-O-carboxymethyl chitin were examined using X-ray microanalysis and selected-area electron diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). According to TEM and AFM data, the sizes of ultradispersed particles were within the range of 2–4 nm. The X-ray investigations indicated that iron nanonoparticles in the carboxymethyl chitin–iron nanoparticles system consisted mainly of zero-valent alpha-iron particles (α-Fe⁰) and a number of magnetite Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Because both types of particles exhibit magnetic properties, these metal–polymer nanocomposites may have a wide range of applications in medicine, electronics, biotechnology, ecology, and catalysis.