Effective approach towards Si-bilayer-IDA modified CoFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles for high efficient protein separation.

Ultrafine cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles with narrow size distributions and regular morphologies were prepared through an improved procedure based on the high-temperature diol reduction method. By replacing the original reducing agent like expensive dihydric alcohol, oleylamine was applied as both stabilizer and reducing agent, which benefit for large scale synthesis of magnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. To produce protein-separation agent with both high specific surface area and magnet content, inverse microemulsion system and substitution reaction were employed to render the produced CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with dense silica bilayer and iminodiacetic acid (IDA)-like structure modification. After the chelation with Cu(2+), the metal-immobilized CoFe2O4 nanoparticles can specifically absorb bovine hemoglobin (BHb) with maximum adsorption capacity as qm=1812.3mg/g. Compared with the reported Cu(2+)-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles, the as-prepared CoFe2O4@Si-IDA-Cu(2+) nanoparticles exhibited excellent adsorption capacity and were applied as high efficient protein separation agent in a real complex biological fluid like bovine blood.