Biosynthesis and Characterization of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Using Chenopodium quinoa Extract

In this study, we achieved the biosynthesis of novel 7-8 nm iron-oxide nanoparticles in the presence of different concentrations (5 to 50% <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>) of commercial white quinoa extract. Initially, quinoa extract was prepared at various concentrations by a purification route. The biosynthesis optimization was systematically monitored by X-ray diffraction, and the Rietveld quantitative analysis showed the presence of goethite (5 to 10 wt.%) and maghemite phases. The first phase disappeared upon increasing the organic loading (40 and 50% <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>). The organic loading was corroborated by thermogravimetric measurements, and it increased with quinoa extract concentration. Its use reduces the amount of precipitation agent at high quinoa extract concentrations with the formation of magnetic nanoparticles with hard ferrimagnetic character (42 and 11 emu g^-1). The enrichment of hydroxyl groups and the negative zeta potential above pH = 7 were corroborated by a reduction in the point of zero charge in all the samples. For alkaline values, the zeta potential values were above the stability range, indicating highly stable chemical species. The evidence of hydroxyl and amide functionalization was qualitatively observed using infrared analysis, which showed that the carboxyl (quercetin/kaempferol), amide I, and amide III chemical groups are retained after biosynthesis. The resultant biosynthesized samples can find applications in environmental remediation due to the affinity of the chemical agents present on the particle surfaces and easy-to-handle them magnetically.