title: Iron and cobalt oxide and metallic nanoparticles prepared from ferritin.
abstract: Metallic Fe and Co and Fe- and Co-based oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a novel method utilizing the biologically relevant protein ferritin. In particular, iron and cobalt oxyhydroxide nanoparticles were assembled within horse spleen and Listeria innocua derived ferritin, respectively, in the aqueous phase. Ferritin containing either Fe or Co oxide was transferred and dried on a SiO2 support where the protein shell was removed during exposure to a highly oxidizing environment. It was also shown that the metal oxide particles could be reduced to the respective metal by heating in hydrogen. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the composition of the particles and atomic force microscopy was used to characterize the size of the nanoparticles. Depending on the Fe or Co loading and/or type of ferritin used, metallic and oxide nanoparticles could be produced within a range of 20-60 A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA.
authors.forename: Hazel-Ann
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hosein
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Strongin
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D003035:Cobalt; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006736:Horses; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007501:Iron; D008087:Listeria / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010087:Oxides; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010087:Oxides; D003035:Cobalt; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; C060728:cobalt oxide