Research Update: Facile synthesis of CoFe2O4 nano-hollow spheres for efficient bilirubin adsorption

Herein, we report an unprecedented bilirubin (BR) adsorption efficiency of CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanostructures in contrast to the commercially available activated carbon and resin which are generally used for haemoperfusion and haemodialysis. We have synthesized CFO nanoparticles of diameter 100 nm and a series of nano-hollow spheres of diameter 100, 160, 250, and 350 nm using a simple template free solvothermal technique through proper variation of reaction time and capping agent, oleylamine (OLA), respectively, and carried out SiO2 coating by employing Stober method. The comparative BR adsorption study of CFO and SiO2 coated CFO nanostructures indicates that apart from porosity and hollow configuration of nanostructures, the electrostatic affinity between anionic carboxyl group of BR and cationic amine group of OLA plays a significant role in adsorbing BR. Finally, we demonstrate that the BR adsorption capacity of the nanostructures can be tailored by varying the morphology as well as size of the nanostructures. We believe that our developed magnetic nanostructures could be considered as a potential material towards therapeutic applications against hyperbilirubinemia. (C) 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.