Facile synthesis of hyperbranched magnetic nanomaterials for selective adsorption of proteins

The separation and purification of proteins is an essential precondition for proteomics research because of the intricate matrix environment. Hence, a facile method has been developed to synthesize hyperbranched polyethyleneimine modified magnetic nanomaterials (Fe₃O₄-NH₂-BPEI) with dendritic structure, unique electrostatic effect, and abundant functional groups for the selective adsorption of proteins which greatly avoids the drawbacks of time consumption and leakage of metal ions in traditional pre-treatment. The preparation conditions, physical and chemical properties, and adsorption performance of Fe₃O₄-NH₂-BPEI have been fully studied. The obtained materials have stable crystal shape, adequate superparamagnetism, fast adsorption kinetics, high adsorption amount, and admirable reusability. In addition, the as-prepared Fe₃O₄-NH₂-BPEI exhibits good selective adsorption ability for electronegative proteins in the neutral solution, exhibiting a potential value for special adsorption for proteins with different pI.