Synthesis of Amine-stabilized Aqueous Colloidal Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Quasicrystal Nanosheet/α-Fe2O3 Heterostructure-Based Low Power NO2 Sensors: Experimental and DFT Studies

Industrial emissions, environmental monitoring, and medical fields have put forward huge demands for high-performance and low power consumption sensors. Two-dimensional quasicrystal (2D QC) nanosheets of metallic multicomponent Al70Co10Fe5Ni10Cu5 have emerged as a promising material for gas sensors due to their excellent catalytic and electronic properties. Herein, we demonstrate highly sensitive and selective NO2 sensors developed by low-cost and scalable fabrication techniques using 2D QC nanosheets and α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The sensitivity (ΔR/R%) of the optimal amount of 2D QC nanosheet-loaded α-Fe2O3 sensor was 32%, which is significantly larger about 3.5 times than bare α-Fe2O3 sensors for 1 ppm of NO2 at 150 °C operating temperature. The sensors exhibited p-type conduction, and resistance was reduced when exposed to NO2, an oxidizing gas. The enhanced sensing characteristics are a result of the formation of nanoheterojunctions between 2D QC and α-Fe2O3, which improved the charge transport and provided a large sensing signal. In addition, the heterojunction sensor demonstrated excellent NO2 selectivity over other oxidizing and reducing gases. Furthermore, density functional theory calculation examines the adsorption energy and charge transfer between NO2 molecules on the α-Fe2O3(110) and QC/α-Fe2O3(110) heterostructure surfaces, which coincides well with the experimental results.

A phosphonium ionic liquid conjugated magnetic graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite: an effective sample pretreatment tool for selenium separation and determination

We established an innovative and easy-to-use methodology for selenium (Se) extraction and determination from real water samples utilizing a magnetic nanocomposite adsorbent (MNC-SPE) aided by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) approach. The MNC-SPE adsorbent was fabricated by hybridizing Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nitride nanosheets (GCN NSs) that were coated with 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid (P-IL). A variety of techniques were used to thoroughly analyze the structural and chemical characteristics of MNC-SPE, and appear to have a great number of diverse active surface functional units (imidazole ring and -NH3+). In order to optimize the key factors affecting the Se extraction, parameters including the adsorbent dosage, contact time, eluent type, eluent volume, eluent time, and reusability of adsorbent were extensively studied. The proposed approach was validated under the optimal reaction conditions, and it showed good linearity between 0.15 and 100 pg μL-1 with a significant R2 value (R2 = 0.9994) toward Se metal. Besides, the Se limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) are 0.063 pg μL-1 and 0.147 pg μL-1, respectively. Further, by utilizing tap and river water samples, the applicability of the validated method was tested; the approach showed high Se recovery values in the range of 87.6-115.5% for the spiked real-world samples and the interday and intraday precision (RSD%) values of the approach were 4.8% (n = 6). The MNC-SPE can be regenerated and reused for four consecutive extraction-desorption cycles by employing 0.5 M NaOH eluent.

Effect of Oleylamine on the Surface Chemistry, Morphology, Electronic Structure, and Magnetic Properties of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles

The influence of oleylamine (OLA) concentration on the crystallography, morphology, surface chemistry, chemical bonding, and magnetic properties of solvothermal synthesized CoFe₂O₄ (CFO) nanoparticles (NPs) has been thoroughly investigated. Varying OLA concentration (0.01-0.1 M) resulted in the formation of cubic spinel-structured CoFe₂O₄ NPs in the size-range of 20-14 (±1) nm. The Fourier transform spectroscopic analyses performed confirmed the OLA binding to the CFO NPs. The thermogravimetric measurements revealed monolayer and multilayer coating of OLA on CFO NPs, which were further supported by the small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. The magnetic measurements indicated that the maximum saturation (M_S) and remanent (M_r) magnetization decreased with increasing OLA concentration. The ratio of maximum dipolar field (H_dip), coercivity (H_C), and exchanged bias field (H_ex) (at 10 K) to the average crystallite size (D_xrd), i.e., (H_dip/D_xrd), (H_C/D_xrd), and (H_ex/D_xrd), increased linearly with OLA concentration, indicating that OLA concurrently controls the particle size and interparticle interaction among the CFO NPs. The results and analyses demonstrate that the OLA-mediated synthesis allowed for modification of the structural and magnetic properties of CFO NPs, which could readily find potential application in electronics and biomedicine.

Aminopropylimidazole as an Advantageous Coating in the Synthesis of Functionalized Magnetite Nanoparticles

Implementing new methods to prepare magnetite nanoparticles with a covered or uncovered surface has been, and still is, a significant challenge. In this work, we describe a very clear and effortless way for the preparation of magnetite nanoparticles using two types of bases, namely: 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole and sodium hydroxide. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) served as a tool for the structural investigation of the as-prepared magnetite nanoparticles. The morphology of the samples was investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Comprehensive high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations (XPS) were applied as an effective tool for analyzing the composition of the various types of magnetic nanoparticles. Further polymer linkage was accomplished with poly(benzofuran-co-arylacetic acid) on the amino-functionalized surface of aminopropylimidazole-containing magnetic nanoparticles. The findings are promising for biomedicine, catalysis, and nanotechnology applications.

APTES monolayer coverage on self-assembled magnetic nanospheres for controlled release of anticancer drug Nintedanib

The use of an appropriate delivery system capable of protecting, translocating, and selectively releasing therapeutic moieties to desired sites can promote the efficacy of an active compound. In this work, we have developed a nanoformulation which preserves its magnetization to load a model anticancerous drug and to explore the controlled release of the drug in a cancerous environment. For the preparation of the nanoformulation, self-assembled magnetic nanospheres (MNS) made of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were grafted with a monolayer of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). A direct functionalization strategy was used to avoid the loss of the MNS magnetization. The successful preparation of the nanoformulation was validated by structural, microstructural, and magnetic investigations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to establish the presence of APTES on the MNS surface. The amine content quantified by a ninhydrin assay revealed the monolayer coverage of APTES over MNS. The monolayer coverage of APTES reduced only negligibly the saturation magnetization from 77 emu/g (for MNS) to 74 emu/g (for MNS-APTES). Detailed investigations of the thermoremanent magnetization were carried out to assess the superparamagnetism in the MNS. To make the nanoformulation pH-responsive, the anticancerous drug Nintedanib (NTD) was conjugated with MNS-APTES through the acid liable imine bond. At pH 5.5, which mimics a cancerous environment, a controlled release of 85% in 48 h was observed. On the other hand, prolonged release of NTD was found at physiological conditions (i.e., pH 7.4). In vitro cytotoxicity study showed dose-dependent activity of MNS-APTES-NTD for human lung cancer cells L-132. About 75% reduction in cellular viability for a 100 μg/mL concentration of nanoformulation was observed. The nanoformulation designed using MNS and monolayer coverage of APTES has potential in cancer therapy as well as in other nanobiological applications.

Magnetic Nanostructure-Loaded Bicontinuous Nanospheres Support Multicargo Intracellular Delivery and Oxidation-Responsive Morphological Transitions

Magnetic nanostructures (MNS) have a wide range of biological applications due to their biocompatibility, superparamagnetic properties, and customizable composition that includes iron oxide (Fe₃O₄), Zn²⁺, and Mn²⁺. However, several challenges to the biomedical usage of MNS must still be addressed, such as formulation stability, inability to encapsulate therapeutic payloads, and variable clearance rates in vivo. Here, we enhance the utility of MNS during controlled delivery applications via encapsulation within polymeric bicontinuous nanospheres (BCNs) composed of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-b-PPS) copolymers. PEG-b-PPS BCNs have demonstrated versatile encapsulation and delivery capabilities for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic payloads due to their unique and highly organized cubic phase nanoarchitecture. MNS-embedded BCNs (MBCNs) were thus coloaded with physicochemically diverse molecular payloads using the technique of flash nanoprecipitation and characterized in terms of their structure and in vivo biodistribution following intravenous administration. Retention of the internal aqueous channels and cubic architecture of MBCNs were verified using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering, respectively. MBCNs demonstrated improvement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement (r₂ relaxivity) as compared to free MNS, which in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy evidenced the clustering and continued access to water of MNS following encapsulation. Furthermore, MBCNs were found to be noncytotoxic and able to deliver their hydrophilic and hydrophobic small-molecule payloads both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the oxidation sensitivity of the hydrophobic PPS block allowed MBCNs to undergo a unique, triggerable transition in morphology into MNS-bearing micellar nanocarriers. In summary, MBCNs are an attractive platform for the delivery of molecular and nanoscale payloads for diverse on-demand and sustained drug delivery applications.

Size-Controlled Synthesis of Iron and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by the Rapid Inductive Heating Method

Inductive heating synthesis is an emerging technique with the potential to displace the hot-injection synthesis method to prepare colloidal particles very rapidly with a narrow size distribution, controlled size, and high crystallinity. In this work, the inductive heating synthesis is applied to produce a short-temperature jump to mimic conditions like the hot-injection method to prepare traditional iron and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) in the 3-11 nm size range within various solvents, precursors, and reaction time conditions. Moreover, this inductive heating technique can be used under unique experimental conditions not available for hot-injection reactions. These conditions include the use of very high initial monomer concentrations. Considering benefits over conventional methods, the inductive heating technique has the potential to provide an industrial level scale-up synthesis. The magnetization of these particles is consistent with the magnetization of the particles from the literature.

Enhancing the magnetic and inductive heating properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles via morphology control

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) with different shapes have been prepared by a 'solventless' synthesis approach to probe shape anisotropy effects on the magnetic and inductive heating properties. Various shapes including spheres, octahedrons, cubes, rods, wires, and multipods are obtained through alterations in reaction conditions such as the ratio of precursor to surfactant content and heating rate. Magnetic and Mössbauer measurements reveal better stoichiometry in anisotropic-shaped Fe₃O₄ NPs than that in the spherical and multipod NPs. As a result, the magnetization value of the anisotropic-shaped NPs approaches the value for bulk material (∼86 emu g^-1). More surprisingly, the Verwey transition, which is a characteristic phase transition of bulk magnetite structure, is observed near 120 K in the anisotropic-shaped NPs, which further corroborates the fact that these NPs possess better stoichiometry compared to the spherical and multipod-shaped NPs. Other than the improved magnetic properties, these anisotropic-shaped NPs are more effective for hyperthermia applications. For example, compared to the conventional spherical NPs, the nanowires show much higher SAR value up to 846 W g^-1, making them a potential candidate for practical hyperthermia treatment. In particular, the octahedral NPs shows an SAR value higher than the same size spherical NPs, which demonstrates the importance of occurrence of the Verwey transition in Fe₃O₄ NPs for better stoichiometric and higher heating.

Enhanced Ferromagnetism from Organic-Cerium Oxide Hybrid Ultrathin Nanosheets

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) oxide materials is an intriguing phenomenon for spintronic applications. Here, we report significantly enhanced room-temperature ferromagnetism observed from ultrathin cerium oxide nanosheets hybridized with organic surfactant molecules. The hybrid nanosheets were synthesized by ionic layer epitaxy over a large area at the water-air interface. The nanosheets exhibited a saturation magnetization of 0.149 emu/g as their thickness reduced to 0.67 nm. This value was 5 times higher than that for CeO₂ thin films and more than 20 times higher than that for CeO₂ nanoparticles. The magnetization was attributed to the high concentration (15.5%) of oxygen vacancies stabilized by surfactant hybridization as well as electron transfer between organic and oxide layers. This work brings an effective strategy of introducing strong ferromagnetism to functional oxide materials, which leads to a promising route toward exploring new physical properties in 2D hybrid nanomaterials.

Synthesis, Principles, and Properties of Magnetite Nanoparticles for In Vivo Imaging Applications-A Review

The current nanotechnology era is marked by the emergence of various magnetic inorganic nanometer-sized colloidal particles. These have been extensively applied and hold an immense potential in biomedical applications including, for example, cancer therapy, drug nanocarriers (NCs), or in targeted delivery systems and diagnosis involving two guided-nanoparticles (NPs) as nanoprobes and contrast agents. Considerable efforts have been devoted to designing iron oxide NPs (IONPs) due to their superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior (SPM IONPs or SPIONs) and their large surface-to-volume area allowing more biocompatibility, stealth, and easy bonding to natural biomolecules thanks to grafted ligands, selective-site moieties, and/or organic and inorganic corona shells. Such nanomagnets with adjustable architecture have been the topic of significant progresses since modular designs enable SPIONs to carry out several functions simultaneously such as local drug delivery with real-time monitoring and imaging of the targeted area. Syntheses of SPIONs and adjustments of their physical and chemical properties have been achieved and paved novel routes for a safe use of those tailored magnetic ferrous nanomaterials. Herein we will emphasis a basic notion about NPs magnetism in order to have a better understanding of SPION assets for biomedical applications, then we mainly focus on magnetite iron oxide owing to its outstanding magnetic properties. The general methods of preparation and typical characteristics of magnetite are reviewed, as well as the major biomedical applications of magnetite.

Additive-Free Rice Starch-Assisted Synthesis of Spherical Nanostructured Hematite for Degradation of Dye Contaminant

Nanostructured hematite materials for advanced applications are conventionally prepared with the presence of additives, tainting its purity with remnants of copolymer surfactants, active chelating molecules, stabilizing agents, or co-precipitating salts. Thus, preparing nanostructured hematite via additive-free and green synthesis methods remains a huge hurdle. This study presents an environmentally friendly and facile synthesis of spherical nanostructured hematite (Sp-HNP) using rice starch-assisted synthesis. The physicochemical properties of the Sp-HNP were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DR UV-Vis), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. The Sp-HNP showed a well-crystallized structure of pure rhombohedral phase, having a spherical-shaped morphology from 24 to 48 nm, and a surface area of 20.04 m²/g. Moreover, the Sp-HNP exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye, owing to the large surface-to-volume ratio. The current work has provided a sustainable synthesis route to produce spherical nanostructured hematite without the use of any hazardous agents or toxic additives, in agreement with the principles of green chemistry for the degradation of dye contaminant.

Toward Highly Luminescent and Stabilized Silica-Coated Perovskite Quantum Dots through Simply Mixing and Stirring under Room Temperature in Air

Methylammonium (MA) lead halide (MAPbX₃, X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are very sensitive to environment (moisture, oxygen, and temperature), suffering from poor stability. To improve the stability, we synthesized silica-coated PQDs (SPQDs) by an improved ligand-assisted reprecipitation method through simply mixing and stirring under room temperature in air without adding water and catalyst, the whole process took only a few seconds. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the SPQDs can be tuned continuously from 460 to 662 nm via adjusting the composition proportion of precursors. The highest PL quantum yields (PLQYs) of blue-, green-, and red-emissive SPQDs are 56, 95, and 70%, respectively. The SPQDs show remarkably improved environmental and thermal stability compared to the naked PQDs because of effective barrier created by the coated silica between the core materials and the ambience. Furthermore, it is found that different light-emitting SPQDs can maintain their original PL properties after mixing of them and anion-exchange reactions have not happened. These attributes were then used to mix green- and yellow-emissive SPQDs with polystyrene (PS) to form color-converting layers for the fabrication of white light-emitting devices (WLEDs). The WLEDs exhibit excellent white light characteristics with CIE 1931 color coordinates of (0.31, 0.34) and color rendering index (CRI) of 85, demonstrating promising applications of SPQDs in lighting and displays.

Simple, Hackable, Size-Selective, Amine-Functionalized Fe-Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

A facile one-pot method for synthesizing amine-functionalized nonspherical Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in gram-scale quantities is presented using just a single source of iron (iron(II) chloride) and an amine (triethylamine). The amine not only transforms iron salt to Fe₃O₄, but also directs the morphology of the nanoparticles along with the temperature of the reaction and functionalizes them, making the synthesis very economical. By modifying the surface further, these nanoparticles promise to offer useful biomedical applications. For example, after biocide coating, the particles are found to be 100% effective in deactivating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria in 2 h. Cellular-uptake studies using biocompatible EDTA-Na₃ (N-(trimethoxysilyl-propyl)ethylenediaminetriacetate, trisodium salt)-coated nanoparticles in human glioblastoma U-251 cells show that the majority of the particles are internalized by the cells in the presence of a small dc-magnetic field, making these particles a potential candidate as drug carriers for magnetic field-targeted delivery and hyperthermia.

Size-dependent magnetic and inductive heating properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles: scaling laws across the superparamagnetic size

An efficient heat activating mediator with an enhanced specific absorption rate (SAR) value is attained via control of the iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticle size from 3 to 32 nm.

Accelerated one-pot synthesis of coated magnetic nanoparticles from iron(ii) as a single precursor

New one-pot synthesis involving a non-conventional stirring regime to obtain coated magnetic nanoparticles characterized by physical and chemical techniques.

Efficient and Stable White LEDs with Silica-Coated Inorganic Perovskite Quantum Dots

A white light-emitting diode (0.33, 0.33) is fabricated using perovskite quantum dot/silica composites. It is shown to have greatly improved stability.

Synthesis and application of glycoconjugate-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as potent anti-adhesion agents for reducing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections

Polyethylene oxide stabilized magnetic nanoparticles (PEO-MNPs) bio-functionalized with glycoconjugate (Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glcβ-sp) (GM3-MNPs) are synthesized using click chemistry. Interaction of GM3-MNPs with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain K99 (EC K99) is investigated using different microscopic techniques. Our results suggest that GM3-MNPs can effectively act as non-antibiotic anti-adhesion agents for treating ETEC infections.

Controlled surface functionality of magnetic nanoparticles by layer-by-layer assembled nano-films

Over the past several years, the preparation of functionalized nanoparticles has been aggressively pursued in order to develop desired structures, compositions, and structural order. Among the various nanoparticles, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown great promise because the material generated using these MNPs can be used in a variety of biomedical applications and possible bioactive functionalities. In this study, we report the development of various functionalized MNPs (F-MNPs) generated using the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly method. To provide broad functional opportunities, we fabricated F-MNP bio-toolbox by using three different materials: synthetic polymers, natural polymers, and carbon materials. Each of these F-MNPs displays distinct properties, such as enhanced thickness or unique morphologies. In an effort to explore their biomedical applications, we generated basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-loaded F-MNPs. The bFGF-loaded F-MNPs exhibited different release mechanisms and loading amounts, depending on the film material and composition order. Moreover, bFGF-loaded F-MNPs displayed higher biocompatibility and possessed superior proliferation properties than the bare MNPs and pure bFGF, respectively. We conclude that by simply optimizing the building materials and the nanoparticle's film composition, MNPs exhibiting various bioactive properties can be generated.

Catalytic Properties of Unsupported Palladium Nanoparticle Surfaces Capped with Small Organic Ligands

This Minireview summarizes a variety of intriguing catalytic studies accomplished by employing unsupported, either solubilized or freely mobilized, and small organic ligand-capped palladium nanoparticles as catalysts. Small organic ligands are gaining more attention as nanoparticle stabilizers and alternates to larger organic supports, such as polymers and dendrimers, owing to their tremendous potential for a well-defined system with spatial control in surrounding environments of reactive surfaces. The nanoparticle catalysts are grouped depending on the type of surface stabilizers with reactive head groups, which include thiolate, phosphine, amine, and alkyl azide. Applications for the reactions such as hydrogenation, alkene isomerization, oxidation, and carbon-carbon cross coupling reactions are extensively discussed. The systems defined as "ligandless" Pd nanoparticle catalysts and solvent (e.g. ionic liquid)-stabilized Pd nanoparticle catalysts are not discussed in this review.

Effect of precursor on the formation of different phases of iron oxide nanoparticles

Trioctylamine is known to act simultaneously as a reducing as well as a hydrolyzing agent.

Iron oxide nanorods as high-performance magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents

An efficient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent with a high R2 relaxivity value is achieved by controlling the shape of iron oxide to rod like morphology with a length of 30-70 nm and diameter of 4-12 nm. Fe3O4 nanorods of 70 nm length, encapsulated with polyethyleneimine show a very high R2 relaxivity value of 608 mM(-1) s(-1). The enhanced MRI contrast of nanorods is attributed to their higher surface area and anisotropic morphology. The higher surface area induces a stronger magnetic field perturbation over a larger volume more effectively for the outer sphere protons. The shape anisotropy contribution is understood by calculating the local magnetic field of nanorods and spherical nanoparticles under an applied magnetic field (3 Tesla). As compared to spherical geometry, the induced magnetic field of a rod is stronger and hence the stronger magnetic field over a large volume leads to a higher R2 relaxivity of nanorods.

Sugar and pH dual-responsive snap-top nanocarriers based on mesoporous silica-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles for cargo delivery

Sugar and pH operated snap-top nanocarriers, consisting of a superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ core and a mesoporous silica shell and surface-functionalized covalently with β-CDs, were constructed.

Enhancement of magnetic heating efficiency in size controlled MFe2O4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) nanoassemblies

The MFe₂O₄ magnetic nanoparticle nanoassemblies (MNNAs) have been synthesized via thermal decomposition of metal chloride in ethylene glycol (EG) in the presence of ethylenediamine (EDA).

Synthesis and magnetostructural studies of amine functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized through the co precipitation method by using the new generation base diisopropylamine (DIPA) which electrostatically complexes with the iron ions, reduces them and subsequently caps the nanoparticles.

Oleylamine as a beneficial agent for the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with potential biomedical uses

The multifunctional role of oleylamine (OAm) as a versatile and flexible reagent in synthesis as well as a desired surface ligand for the synthesis of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) is described. CoFe2O4 NPs were prepared by a facile, reproducible and scalable solvothermal approach in the presence of pure OAm. By monitoring the volume of OAm, different shapes of NPs, spherical and truncated, were formed. The syntheses led to high yields of monodispersed and considerably small (9-11 nm) CoFe2O4 NPs with enhanced magnetization (M(s) = 84.7-87.5 emu g(-1)). The resulting hydrophobic CoFe2O4 NPs were easily transferred to an aqueous phase through the formation of reverse micelles between the hydrophobic chains of OAm and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and transverse relaxivities (r2) were measured. The spherical NPs had a greater effect on water proton relaxivity (r2 = 553 mM(-1) s(-1)) at an applied magnetic field of 11.7 T. The NPs became fluorescent probes by exploiting the presence of the double bond of OAm in the middle of the molecule; a thiol-ene "click" reaction with the fluorophore bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) was achieved. The labeled/biofunctionalized CoFe2O4 NPs interacted with cancer (HeLa and A549) and non-cancer cell lines (MRC5 and dental MSCS) and cell viability was estimated. A clear difference of toxicity between the cancer and non-cancer cells was observed while low cytotoxicity in living cells was supported. Confocal laser microscopy showed that NPs entered the cell membranes and were firstly localized close to them provoking a membrane expansion and were further accumulated perinuclearly without entering the nuclei.

A versatile stable platform for multifunctional applications: synthesis of a nitroDOPA–PEO–alkyne scaffold for iron oxide nanoparticles

A simple but powerful design of contemporary magnetic nanoparticle composites for biomedical applications.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide based nanoprobes for imaging and theranostics

The need to target, deliver and subsequently evaluate the efficacy of therapeutics in the treatment of a disease has provided added impetus in developing novel and highly efficient contrast agents. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have offered tremendous potential in designing advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic agents, due to their unique physicochemical properties. There has been tremendous effort devoted in the recent past in developing synthetic methodologies through which their size, hydrodynamic radii, chemical composition and morphologies could be tailored at the nanoscale. This enables one to fine tune their magnetic behavior, and thus their MRI response. While novel synthetic strategies are being assembled for directing SPIONs to the diseased site as well as imparting them stealth and biocompatibility, it is also essential to evaluate their biological toxicological profiles. This review highlights recent advances that have been made in the synthesis of SPIONs, subsequent functionalization with desired entities, and a discussion on their use as MRI contrast agents in cardiovascular research.

Plastic protein microarray to investigate the molecular pathways of magnetic nanoparticle-induced nanotoxicity

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (about 15 nm) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, x-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The molecular pathways of SPIONs-induced nanotoxicity was further investigated by protein microarrays on a plastic substrate from evaluation of cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cell apoptosis. The experimental results reveal that 50 μg ml(-1) or higher levels of SPIONs cause significant loss of cell viability, considerable generation of ROS and cell apoptosis. It is proposed that high level SPIONs could induce cell apoptosis via a mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway by activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3, an increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and down-regulation of HSP70 and HSP90 survivor factors.

Uniform mesoporous silica coated iron oxide nanoparticles as a highly efficient, nontoxic MRI T(2) contrast agent with tunable proton relaxivities

Monodisperse mesoporous silica (mSiO(2) ) coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe(3) O(4) @mSiO(2) ) nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed as a potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T(2) contrast agent. To evaluate the effect of surface coating on MRI contrast efficiency, we examined the proton relaxivities of Fe(3) O(4) @mSiO(2) NPs with different coating thicknesses. It was found that the mSiO(2) coating has a significant impact on the efficiency of Fe(3) O(4) NPs for MRI contrast enhancement. The efficiency increases with the thickness of mSiO(2) coating and is much higher than that of the commercial contrast agents. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry of Fe(3) O(4) @mSiO(2) further revealed that mSiO(2) coating is partially permeable to water molecules and therefore induces the decrease of longitudinal relaxivity, r(1) . Biocompatibility evaluation of various sized (ca. 35-95 nm) Fe(3) O(4) @mSiO(2) NPs was tested on OC-k3 cells and the result showed that these particles have no negative impact on cell viability. The enhanced MRI efficiency of Fe(3) O(4) @mSiO(2) highlights these core-shell particles as highly efficient T(2) contrast agents with high biocompatibility.

A nanosized delivery system of superparamagnetic iron oxide for tumor MR imaging

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles have been intensively investigated as MRI probes due to the noninvasive detection of in vivo pathological changes. In the study, a nanosized system for SPIO delivery to a tumor was prepared to overcome the common challenges of SPIO nanoparticles such as insufficient uptake of SPIO by specific cells due to instability, short half-life by macrophage, and low efficiency of internalization. SPIO with ca. 6 nm sizes as a MRI probe and PLA-PEG (5K-2K) as a biocompatible stable system were prepared. The hydrophobic modified SPIO were loaded into the core of micelles and showed a stable dispersion with 140-170 nm particle sizes. The SPIO loading micelles showed higher relaxivity coefficients and increases of T(2) relaxation in vivo MR imaging. This SPIO delivery system with high stability and sensitivity can be a promising imaging formulation as MRI T(2) probes for tumor detection.

Water-soluble superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles with biocompatible coating for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Ultrasmall superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (USIRONs) were synthesized by a novel, easily scalable chemical reduction of colloidal iron hydroxide under hydrothermal conditions. The average crystallite size (5.1 ± 0.5 nm) and good crystallinity of the samples were supported by HR-TEM analysis and the saturation magnetization value (47 emu g(-1)). Vitamin C, used as a chemical reducing agent, also served as a capping agent in the oxidized form (dehydroascorbic acid, DHAA) to impart nanoparticles with exceptional solubility and stability in water, PBS buffer, and cell culture medium. Detailed physicochemical analysis of the USIRON suspensions provided insight into the magnetic ordering phenomena within the colloid, arising from the formation of uniform clusters displaying a hydrodynamic size of 41 nm. Phantom experiments on the contrast agent (clinical 3 T MRI scanner) revealed an enhanced r(2)/r(1) ratio of 36.4 (r(1)= 5 s(-1) mM(-1) and r(2)= 182 s(-1) mM(-1)) when compared to the clinically approved agents. The potential of the DHAA-Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles as negative contrast agents for MRI with optimal hydrodynamic size for extended blood circulation times was confirmed by strong contrast observed in T(2)- and T(2)*-weighted images. The cell tests performed with primary human immune-competent cells confirmed the excellent biocompatibility of USIRONs.

Targeted magnetic hyperthermia

Many nanotechnologies, which enable unique approaches to treat cancer, have been developed based upon non-toxic organic and inorganic materials to improve current cancer treatments. The use of inorganic materials to form magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia therapy is of great interest for localized treatment of cancers without effecting adjacent healthy tissue. Extensive clinical trials have begun using magnetic hyperthermia in animal models. The purpose of this article is to address different factors that affect targeting, heating and biodistribution to safely control the therapeutic efficacy of targeted magnetic hyperthermia. This method involves accumulation of magnetic nanoparticles at a tumor site and then manipulating the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles to heat the targeted tissues.

Probing the Chemical Stability of Mixed Ferrites: Implications for MR Contrast Agent Design

Nanomaterials with mixed composition, in particular magnetic spinel ferrites, are emerging as efficient contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many factors, including size, composition, atomic structure, and surface properties are crucial in the design of such nanoparticle-based probes due to their influence on the magnetic properties. Silica-coated iron oxide (IO-SiO(2)) and cobalt ferrite (CoIO-SiO(2)) nanoparticles were synthesized using standard high temperature thermal decomposition and base-catalyzed water-in-oil microemulsion techniques. Under neutral aqueous conditions, it was found that 50-75% of the cobalt content in the CoIO-SiO(2) nanoparticles leached out of the core structure. Leaching caused a 7.2-fold increase in longitudinal relaxivity and an increase in the saturation magnetization from ~48 emu/g core to ~65 emu/g core. X-ray absorption fine structure studies confirmed that the atomic structure of the ferrite core was altered following leaching, while TEM and DLS confirmed that the morphology and size of the nanoparticle remained unchanged. The CoIO-SiO(2) nanoparticles converted from a partially inverted spinel cation arrangement (unleached state) to an inverse spinel arrangement (leached state). The control IO-SiO(2) nanoparticles remained stable with no change in structure and negligible changes in magnetic behavior. This detailed analysis highlights how important understanding the properties of nanomaterials is in the development of reliable agents for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

State of dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles in an aqueous medium: experiments and Monte Carlo simulation

Monte Carlo simulation results predicting the state of dispersion (single, dimer, trimer, and so on) of coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles in an aqueous medium are compared with our experimental data for the same. Measured values of the volume percentage of particles in the dispersion, core particle diameter, coating-shell thickness, grafting density of the coating agent, saturation magnetization, and zeta potential for the citric acid-coated and poly(acrylic acid) [PAA]-coated particles have been used in our simulation. The simulation was performed by calculating the total interaction potential between two nanoparticles as a function of their interparticle distance and applying a criterion for the two particles to aggregate, with the criterion being that the minimum depth of the secondary minima in the total interaction potential must be at least equal to k(B)T. Simulation results successfully predicted both experimental trends-aggregates for citric acid-coated particles and an individual isolated state for PAA-coated particles. We have also investigated how this state changes for both kind of coating agents by varying the particle volume percentage from 0.01 to 25%, the particle diameter from 2 to 19 nm, the shell thickness from 1 to 14 nm, and grafting density from 10(15) to 10(22) molecules/m(2). We find that the use of a lower shell thickness and a higher particle volume percentage leads to the formation of larger aggregates. The possible range of values of these four variables, which can be used experimentally to prepare a stable aqueous dispersion of isolated particles, is recommended on the basis of predictions from our simulation.