Background:
Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4NPs) exhibit distinct chemical and physical properties given their extremely small size, great surface area and magnetism, improving their ability to multiple applications related with medical, biosensing, electronic and environmental areas.
Methods:
Magnetite nanoparticles were easily obtained by green synthesis using leaf extracts of South American endemic Cryptocaria alba (Peumo) tree. FeNPs were characterized by using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Thermogavimetric Analysis (TGA).
Results:
Fe3O4NPs were successfully synthetized, and they showed crystalline nature, primary dry diameter means between 12 nm and 15 nm, spherical apparent shape, and good stability in aqueous suspension. Additionally, preliminary studies indicated that low concentrations of magnetite nanoparticles (1000 times lower than literature reported) reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD), apart fromconcentrations of total phosphates, and nitrates from pisciculture wastewater samples incubated by 24 h.
Conclusions:
Green synthesis of Peumo iron nanoparticles is an easy, fast, and viable eco-friendly bioprocess under certain conditions of fabrication to obtain nanometric and stable iron particles with promising removal properties of nitrates, phosphates, and COD from wastewaters.
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