Effect of size of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles on electrochemical performance of screen printed electrode using sedimentation field-flow fractionation

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and Fe3O4-deposited multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Fe3O4@MWCNTs) were synthesized by ultrasonic co-precipitation method. The surface and structural properties of Fe3O4 MNPs and Fe3O4@MWCNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Sedimentation field-flow fractionation (SdFFF) was, for the first time, employed to study the influence of synthesis parameters on size distribution of Fe3O4 MNPs. A reasonable resolution for SdFFF analysis of Fe3O4 MNPs was obtained by a combination of 1,600 RPM, flow rate of 0.3 mL min−1, and Triton X-100. The results suggest that lower pH and higher reaction temperature tend to yield smaller Fe3O4 MNPs size. The size distribution of Fe3O4 MNPs obtained from SdFFF was compared with those obtained from TEM and DLS. Also the effect of the particle size of Fe3O4 MNPs on electrochemical property of Fe3O4@MWCNTs-treated screen printed electrode (SPE) was studied. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that SPE treated with MWCNTs yields a significantly enhanced signal than that with no treatment. The SPE signal was even further enhanced with addition of Fe3O4 MNPs. For SPE analysis of dopamine, a liner range of 0.005–0.1 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.986 was observed. Results revealed that (1) SdFFF is a useful tool for size-based separation and characterization of MNPs; (2) Proposed methods for synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Fe3O4@MWCNTs are mild and fast (about 30 min); (3) SPE treated with Fe3O4@MWCNTs shows potential applicability for biosensing.