MAGNETIC PARTICLES RETAINING ON OPEN AND CLOSED SYSTEMS

Abstract

In recent decades the application of magnetic iron oxide micro- and nano-particles has been established in various technological fields, such as magnetic separation of biomolecules and ions, biosensors, biofuel production and others [1,2]. Working  with iron oxide particles is becoming main stream subject thanks to the facility thatthis kind of materials can be functionalized with a
variety of chemical groups which confer them specific selective or catalytic properties [3]. Furthermore, iron oxide nano-particles
present magnetic properties, and in particular super-paramagnetism, which allows to remotely control them making their manipulation easy and cost-effective [4]. In addition, a new method of synthesis has been recently proposed, which can guarantee a cost-effective production of magnetic particles that may further reduce the running cost of separation methods based on magnetism [5]. Nevertheless, biotechnological applications of iron oxide particles are still confined to research level (lab scale devices) or for low throughput clinical applications [6]. Indeed, most systems based on the use of magnetic elements are designed to work with microfluid dynamic or can process samples in bath-based fashion, therefore discontinuously. The need of robust and high-productive methods is demanded especially in bioscience where, independently from the reaction or process involving magnetic particles, once such composite materials are mixed or added to a given solution, inevitably at the end of workflow they must be separated/harvested from the reaction vessel. Therefore, it is vital for a good productivity and processivity of reactions involving magnetic particles to ensure that large volumes of solution can be treated, and magnetic particles withdrew in the most fast and accurate way. The purpose of this paper is to compare an open and a closed type magnetic trapping system regarding their efficiency using two different types of magnetic sources.