Properties of magnetite nanoparticles produced by magnetotactic bacteria

The magnetic nanoparticles (magnetite) were prepared through the fermentation of the Magnetospirillum strain WM-1 newly isolated by our group. The samples were characterized by TEM, SAED, XRD, rock magnetic analysis, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. TEM and SAED measurements showed that the magnetosomes formed by strain WM-1 were single crystallites of high perfection with a cubic spinel structure of magnetite. X-ray measurements also fitted very well with standard Fe 3 O 4 reflections with an inverse spinel structure of the magnetite core. The size of crystal as calculated by the Debye-Scherrer’s equation was approximately 55 nm. Rock magnetic analysis showed WM-1 synthesized single-domain magnetite magnetosomes, which were arranged in the form of linear chain. The high delta ratio (( δ FC / δ ZFC = 4) supported the criteria of Moskowitz test that there were intact magnetosomes chains in cells. The Verwey transition occurred at 105 K that closed to stoochiometric magnetite in composition. These observations provided useful insights into the biomineralization of magnetosomes and properties of M. WM-1 and potential application of biogenic magnetite in biomaterials and biomagnetism.