Sub-micrometric and nanometric solid phases obtained through reductive decomposition reaction of β-cyclodextrin

Abstract

Objective: Cyclodextrins have been used to catalyze chemical reactions in the synthesis of different materials. The aim of this study is to produce nanoparticles using cyclodextrin as a nanoreactor. Methods: In this study, nanoparticles from the solid phase of iron oxide (Fe3O4), copper oxide (CuO) and metallic silver (Ag°) were obtained through hydrothermal synthesis at 100 and 150°C for six hours. This was produced for cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacillus lehensis isolated from wastewater of a cassava flourmill. The nanoparticles were characterized through x-ray diffraction Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. Results: The images demonstrated that the nanoparticles exhibited a polyhedric shape with a diameter of 100 nm for Fe4O3, an irregular oval shape with a diameter of 45 nm for CuO and a platelet shape with a diameter of 138 nm for Ago. Conclusion: Based on this characterization, the proposed technique proved to be an efficient, low-cost, convenient method for the production of sub-micrometric and nanometric solid phases and can likely be scaled up for industrial use. The results demonstrate the possibility of producing nanoparticles using cyclodextrin as a nanoreactor.