Characterizations and analysis of genus Amphora diatom frustules: a promising biomaterial

Abstract

In the present study, the authors have synthesized biosilica from marine diatoms (Amphora sp.) by using an optimized procedure with a combination of acid and salt washing treatments. The purification of frustules employed a simple methodology that combines acid digestion and rinsing with hydrogen peroxide. The content of Amphora sp. biosilica has been analyzed through energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The result declares the purity of biosilica, which is highly pristine in comparison to diatomaceous earth. The structural architecture of Amphora sp. is typically amorphous in nature. Moreover, Amphora sp. biosilica has a mesopore diameter and a surface area of 4·838 nm and 332 m2/g, respectively, which are relatively higher than those from previous reports. The adsorption/desorption isotherm results suggest that the derived frustules have a highly porous architecture, which shows their great potential to be used as drug delivery carriers, biosensors, biocatalysts and adsorbents in the future.