Synthesis of hollow, magnetic Fe/Ga-based oxide nanospheres using a bubble templating method in a microfluidic system

Research Paper
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Abstract

This paper describes a new approach to synthesize hollow nanospheres in a microfluidic system using air bubbles as templates. A new microfluidic system which integrates a micro-mixer, a micro-condenser channel, microvalves, a micro-heater, and a micro-temperature sensor, to form an automatic micro-reactor, is used to generate air bubbles that assist in the synthesis of hollow Fe/Ga-based oxide nanospheres. Experimental data show that Fe/Ga-based oxide nanoparticles with a diameter of 157 ± 26 nm can be successfully synthesized. The formation mechanism is that the seed nanoparticles are attaching themselves onto the bubbles to form a solid shell. The magnetic properties of the hollow Fe/Ga-based oxide nanospheres are also measured. This may be a promising platform to synthesize hollow nanoparticles for drug delivery applications.

Keywords

FeGa2O4 Microfluidics Hollow nanosphere Micro-reactor 

Abbreviations

CTAB

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

EDX

Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

Fcc

Face-centered cubic

Hc

Coercivity

M-H

Magnetization-magnetic field

Mr

Remanence magnetization

PDMS

Polydimethylsiloxane

PVA

Polyvinyl alcohol

SAED

Selected area electron diffraction

SQUID

Superconducting-quantum-interference-device

Tirr

Irreversibility temperature

TEM

Transmission electron microscopy

TB

Blocking temperature

XRD

X-ray diffraction

ZFC–FC

Zero-field-cooling and field-cooling

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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the National Science Council in Taiwan (NSC 96-2120-M-006-008). This work was also partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, R.O.C. under the NCKU Project of Promoting Academic Excellence and Developing World Class Research Centers.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Engineering ScienceNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainanTaiwan
  2. 2.Department of ChemistryNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainanTaiwan
  3. 3.Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainanTaiwan

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