A Reproducible sol-gel synthesis of magnetic-coated silica nanoparticles for reliable SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction

¹ Research Center for Nuclear Beam Analysis Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Tangerang, 15314, Indonesia
² Directorate for Nuclear Facility Management, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Tangerang, 15314, Indonesia
³ Primate Animal Research Center, IPB University, Bogor 16151, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The development of magnetic-coated silica (MAGSi) nanoparticles has shown significant promise for the efficient extraction of viral RNA in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, a key method for COVID-19 detection. To facilitate large-scale production, it is crucial to establish a synthesis method that is both high-quality and reproducible. This study investigates the reproducibility of a sol-gel synthesis method, assisted by an ultrasonic bath, for preparing MAGSi nanoparticles and assesses their performance in extracting RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The synthesis protocol was repeated across five distinct batches, and the resulting nanoparticles were characterized for yield, morphology, crystallite phase, and magnetic moment. The results demonstrated no significant differences in the physical properties or quantity among the replicated batches, confirming the method's good reproducibility. Furthermore, duplicate RNA extraction tests performed on samples from each batch revealed consistent adsorption performance, highlighting the method's efficacy. This work underscores the importance of validating a synthesis method's reproducibility before scaling up production for biomedical applications, such as a cost-effective viral RNA extraction kit.