Abstract
Mimicking the bacterial synthesis of magnetosomes, in which the functionalized surface of a cytoplasmic (lipid) membrane is considered to be stimulating the crystal growth of magnetite, we have successfully grown magnetite films at $30^{\circ}C$ using an arachic acid monomolecular layer as a functionalized surface. The lipid monomolecular layer was spread on an aqueous solution of FeCl$_2$ which was oxidized by flowing a mixed gas, with ratio $O_2$/$N_2$=1/2000, on the surface of the lipid layer. Mossbauer and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the Fe$_3$O$_4$ films contain small amounts of ferric hydroxyl impurity phases of ${\alpha}$-FeOOH and ${\tau}$-FeOOH. This is because the oxygen partial pressure at the ferrite/aqueous interface changed as the film (through which the gas penetrated) increased in thickness. Methods to obtain single phase magnetite films are proposed.