Magnetization of microorganism cells by sol-gel method

Microorganism cells could be used as templates during fabrication of magnetic or conductive microstructures in different standard shapes. In this paper, feasibility of magnetizing microorganism cells by sol-gel method, which is to coat cells of Spirulina (a type of natural micro-helical microorganism) with the ferrite (a kind of magnetic material), was discussed and investigated. Then the cell form, components and the phase structure were observed and analyzed using various tools including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Results showed that spirulina cells could be coated with ferrite after the sol-gel process, with the shape of natural helixes well kept, that the components of different sampling points on the surface layer were consistent and the thickness of layer was uniform, and that the type of the surface ferrite layer formed was cubic Fe ₃O₄. It was also observed that there were nano-particles yielded in the cells and certain deposit on the walls between cells. The kinetics of the cell magnetization technology by sol-gel was also discussed.