Preparation and characterization of a novel fluorescent-magnetic nanomaterial

For the first time, a new multifunctional nanomaterial which combined the superparamagnetic property of iron oxide nanoparticles with the fluorescent property of morin-Al3+ complex was prepared. Iron oxide nanoparticles were first coated with SiO2 which could isolate them from the complex and the surrounding. Subsequently, Al2O3 . nH2O which provided active aluminum atom were deposited on the silica shell. Finally, morin which would react with the reactive aluminum atom was added into the reaction mixture to prepare the final multifunctional nanomaterial. The obtained product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectra, photoluminescence spectra, fluorescence microscopy, and vibration sample magnetometer. The characterization results showed that the final samples had an average size of 60 nm with spherical shape. The saturation magnetization of this new synthesized material was about 8.5 emu g(-1). Its excitation and emission wavelengths were 420 and 513 nm, respectively.