Matrix assisted formation of ferrihydrite nanoparticles in a siloxane/poly(oxyethylene) nanohybrid

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Abstract
Matrix-assisted formation of ferrihydrite, an iron oxide hydroxide analogue of the protein ferritin core, in a sol–gel derived organic–inorganic hybrid is reported. The hybrid network (named di-ureasil) is composed of poly(oxyethylene) chains of different average polymer molecular weights grafted to siloxane domains by means of urea cross-linkages and accommodates ferrihydrite nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements, Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal that controlled modification of the polymer molecular weight allows the fine-tuning of the ability of the hybrid matrix to assist and promote iron coordination at the organic–inorganic interface and subsequent nucleation and growth of the ferrihydrite nanoparticles whose core size (2–4 nm) is tuned by the amount of iron incorporated. The polymer chain length, its arrangement and crystallinity, are key factors in the anchoring and formation of the ferrihydrite particles.

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