Magnetite synthesis using stirring
- In order to make hydrogels more uniform in size, an overhead stirrer was used during synthesis instead of the sonicator method used in the general Protocol
Procedure
- Heat a hot water bath to 80°C.
- Follow the Magnetite Protocol Synthesis and make 1 sample.
- DO NOT ADD IRON TO THE SAMPLE YET.
- attach sample to the overhead stirrer contraption. ensure that the falcon tube containing the sample is submerged in the hot water bath and that the stirrer is in the solution.
- set the stirrer to 4000rpm and begin stirring the solution.
- As the sample is being stirred, add the 2mL of FeSO4 drop-wise to the falcon tube.
- Allow the sample to react for 4 hours. check on the samples often to make sure that the stirrer is not causing the sample solution to overflow out of the tube.
Analysis
- Every 30 minutes collect 2mL samples of the synthesizing solution for microscope analysis.
- remove 1mL of sample and place in eppendorf tube. Remove another 1mL sample and place in a different eppendorf tube. Label the tubes with how many minutes since synthesis began (30,60, 90, 120 etc).
- Centrifuge down the samples for 2 minutes. Remove supernatant and leave pellet behind.
- Add 1mL of deionized water to each of the samples and re-suspend the magnetite samples by vortexing
- remove a few drops of sample and look at under a microscope.
- repeat this process every 30 minutes for 4 hours.
Notes
- Due to time constraints, this method was only done for 2 hours today
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