Scaling up using biological additive to control the formation of magnetite and silica nanoparticles.

When considering the novel synthesis of nanomaterials, it is important to have a high degree of control over the size and morphology of particles formed. Techniques have been developed that can meet this criteria, however they are ecologically unfriendly, requiring both large amounts of energy (heating/vacuum) and toxic precursors.

The aim of this project is to take inspiration from the both the silica development process and the native biomineralisation proteins in MTB to develop a 'molecular toolbox' of additives. These compounds will be able to influence the shape and size properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by influencing the developing particles either through nucleation or surface interaction, with the end goal of being able to synthesise MNPs to set criterion.

This will initially involve the screening of multiple classes of compounds to ascertain suitable starting points for further investigation, operating under the understanding that acidic functionalities play a role in nucleation and basic functionalities appear to play a role in the crystal faces present in synthesised materials. By controlling the reaction conditions and quantities as thoroughly the effect of each additive on the particle size can be visualised and compared. Once suitable additives have been identified, studies will be carried out to understand their mechanism of action and the ideal concentrations of additive to optimise their effect on particle properties.

A possible alternative method of MNP formation is to be investigated, utilising a continuous flow microfluidic rig. This rig must be designed to overcome the synthetic short-comings of both the batch synthesis technique, and prior issues in the application of microfluidics for magnetite formation (difficulty in attaining co-axial flow, leakage, etc.).

Time permitting, investigation into batch/ continuous scale-up will begin with the end goal of synthesising 20-100 g of optimised MNPs daily in an environmentally conscious manner.