Ferrihydrite nanoparticles produced by Klebsiella oxytoca: Structure and properties dependence on the cultivation time

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2022.103692

Ferrihydrite nanoparticles were synthesized using Klebsiella oxytoca microorganisms under various cultivation conditions. The cultivation of bacteria was carried out under various lighting conditions, and the duration of cultivation varied from 3 to 56 days. Biogenic ferrihydrite nanoparticles were studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetometry, and small-angle X-ray scattering. The process of formation of ferrihydrite nanoparticles and the states arising during the cultivation of microorganisms have been investigated. The results of Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that, depending on the time of cultivation, three different states of ferrihydrite can be realized. States differ both in the ratio of defective and non-defective positions, and the size of the particle. Experimental results indicate that ferrihydrite nanoparticles are a system of variable composition and pass through several structural (or morphological) states during the cultivation of microorganisms. A model of the structure of ferrihydrite nanoparticles is proposed, which consists in the presence of an antiferromagnetic dense core with a high Néel temperature and a friable shell with a significantly lower temperature of magnetic ordering.