PEGylated Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles: Structural, Magnetic, and Sorption Properties

Abstract: Metal-containing nanoparticles are shown to be effective in wastewater treatment. The use of magnetic materials allows for efficient separation of the sorbent from the solution. In this work, magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles are synthesized and modified with polyethylene glycol to form a stable suspension. The structural and magnetic properties of the obtained samples are investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The results show that by varying the ratio of magnetic nanoparticles and polyethylene glycol during surface modification, it is possible to obtain a composite material with a value of the magnetization in a field of 1.2 T in the range of 10–17 A m2/kg with a mass content of magnetic nanoparticles in samples of 19–33%. The resulting samples are tested for the removal of methylene blue from a solvent, demonstrating their potential as effective sorbents. Additionally, these nanoparticles showed no cytotoxicity on human cells.