Design of stable polyether-magnetite complexes in aqueous media: effects of the anchor group, molecular weight, and chain density

Substituted Poly(Vinylphosphonate) Coatings of Magnetite Nanoparticles and Clusters

Magnetite nanoparticles and clusters of nanoparticles have been of Increasing scientific interest in the past decades. In order to prepare nanoparticles and clusters that are stable in suspension, different coatings have been used. Phosphates and phosphonates are a preferred anchoring group for the coating of magnetite nanomaterials. However, poly(vinylphosphonates) have rarely been used as a coating agent for any nanoparticles. Here, poly(methylvinylphosphonate) and other substituted polyvinylphosphonates are described as new coatings for magnetite nanoparticles and clusters. They show great stability in aqueous suspension. This is also the first time phosphonate-coated magnetite clusters have been synthesized in a one-pot polyol reaction. The coated magnetite nanoparticles and clusters have been characterized by TEM, EDX, FTIR, magnetization measurement, XRD as well as XPS. It has been shown that substituted vinylphosphonates can be easily synthesized in one-step procedures and as a polymeric coating can imbue important properties such as stability in suspension, tight binding to the particle surface, the ability to be further functionalized or to tightly adsorb metal ions. For the synthesis of magnetite clusters the cluster formation, polymerization and coating are done in a one-pot reaction and the resulting magnetite clusters show a higher amount of phosphonate coating than with a three-step procedure including a ligand exchange.

Modulating the Mechanical Properties of Supercrystalline Nanocomposite Materials via Solvent-Ligand Interactions

Supercrystalline nanocomposite materials with micromechanical properties approaching those of nacre or similar structural biomaterials can be produced by self-assembly of organically modified nanoparticles and further strengthened by cross-linking. The strengthening of these nanocomposites is controlled via thermal treatment, which promotes the formation of covalent bonds between interdigitated ligands on the nanoparticle surface. In this work, it is shown how the extent of the mechanical properties enhancement can be controlled by the solvent used during the self-assembly step. We find that the resulting mechanical properties correlate with the Hansen solubility parameters of the solvents and ligands used for the supercrystal assembly: the hardness and elastic modulus decrease as the Hansen solubility parameter of the solvent approaches the Hansen solubility parameter of the ligands that stabilize the nanoparticles. Moreover, it is shown that self-assembled supercrystals that are subsequently uniaxially pressed can deform up to 6 %. The extent of this deformation is also closely related to the solvent used during the self-assembly step. These results indicate that the conformation and arrangement of the organic ligands on the nanoparticle surface not only control the self-assembly itself but also influence the mechanical properties of the resulting supercrystalline material. The Hansen solubility parameters may therefore serve as a tool to predict what solvents and ligands should be used to obtain supercrystalline materials with good mechanical properties.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles Featuring Polyzwitterionic Coatings

Throughout the last decades, magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have gained tremendous interest in different fields of applications like biomedicine (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), drug delivery, hyperthermia), but also more technical applications (e.g., catalysis, waste water treatment) have been pursued. Different surfactants and polymers are extensively used for surface coating of MNP to passivate the surface and avoid or decrease agglomeration, decrease or modulate biomolecule absorption, and in most cases increase dispersion stability. For this purpose, electrostatic or steric repulsion can be exploited and, in that regard, surface charge is the most important (hybrid) particle property. Therefore, polyelectrolytes are of great interest for nanoparticle coating, as they are able to stabilize the particles in dispersion by electrostatic repulsion due to their high charge densities. In this review article, we focus on polyzwitterions as a subclass of polyelectrolytes and their use as coating materials for MNP. In the context of biomedical applications, polyzwitterions are widely used as they exhibit antifouling properties and thus can lead to minimized protein adsorption and also long circulation times.

Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone-Targeted Cisplatin-Loaded Magnetite Nanoclusters for Simultaneous MR Imaging and Chemotherapy of Ovarian Cancer

Given the superior soft tissue contrasts obtained by MRI and the long residence times of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in soft tissues, MNP-based theranostic systems are being developed for simultaneous imaging and treatment. However, development of such theranostic nanoformulations presents significant challenges of balancing the therapeutic and diagnostic functionalities in order to achieve optimum effect from both. Here we developed a simple theranostic nanoformulation based on magnetic nanoclusters (MNCs) stabilized by a bisphosphonate-modified poly(glutamic acid)-b-(ethylene glycol) block copolymer and complexed with cisplatin. The MNCs were decorated with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) to target LHRH receptors (LHRHr) overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells. The targeted MNCs significantly improved the uptake of the drug in cancer cells and decreased its IC50 compared to the nontargeted formulations. Also, the enhanced LHRHr-mediated uptake of the targeted MNCs resulted in enhancement in the T2-weighted negative contrast in cellular phantom gels. Taken together, the LHRH-conjugated MNCs show good potential as ovarian cancer theranostics.

Functionalization of magnetite nanoparticles as oil spill collector

In the present study, a new magnetic powder based on magnetite can be used as a petroleum crude oil collector. Amidoximes based on rosin as a natural product can be prepared from a reaction between hydroxylamine and rosin/acrylonitrile adducts. The produced rosin amidoximes were used as capping agents for magnetite nanoparticles to prepare hydrophobic coated magnetic powders. A new class of monodisperse hydrophobic magnetite nanoparticles was prepared by a simple and inexpensive co-precipitation method. Iron ions and iodine were prepared by the reaction between ferric chloride and potassium iodide. The structure and morphology of magnetite capped with rosin amidoxime were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The magnetic properties were determined from vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. These prepared magnetite nanoparticles were tested as bioactive nanosystems and their antimicrobial effects were investigated. The prepared nanomaterials were examined as a crude oil collector using magnetic fields. The results show promising data for the separation of the petroleum crude oil from aqueous solution in environmental pollution cleanup.

Application of magnetite nano-hybrid epoxy as protective marine coatings for steel

The present work aims to develop a method for preparation of porous iron oxide nanomaterials and to investigate the applicability as smart self-healing protective coatings for steel.

Arsonic acid as a robust anchor group for the surface modification of Fe3O4

In order to use iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) in various applications, a surface modification that provides colloidal stability and additional functionality to the nanoparticles is necessary. For the modification of the nanoparticle surface with ligand molecules, the ligand molecule should contain an anchor group that has a strong affinity for the surface. However, currently used anchor groups have shown some problems such as low affinity and stability as well as reactivity with the surface. In this study, arsonic acid (RAsO(OH)2) was investigated as a novel anchor group. It was possible to introduce azide groups on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles using 4-azidophenylarsonic acid, and the desired functional molecules could be chemically attached to the surface via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click chemistry). By quantifying and comparing the amount of attached anchors on the surface, it was found that arsonic acid displays better affinity than other currently used anchors (catechol, carboxylic acid). Furthermore, we examined the binding reversibility, long-term anchoring stability, and anchoring stability at various pH values. It was revealed that arsonic acid is a stable anchor in various conditions.

Synthesis and characterization of PEG-iron oxide core-shell composite nanoparticles for thermal therapy

In this study, core-shell nanoparticles were developed to achieve thermal therapy that can ablate cancer cells in a remotely controlled manner. The core-shell nanoparticles were prepared using atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to coat iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based polymer shell. The iron oxide core allows for the remote heating of the particles in an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The coating of iron oxide with PEG was verified through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. A thermoablation (55°C) study was performed on A549 lung carcinoma cells exposed to nanoparticles and over a 10 min AMF exposure. The successful thermoablation of A549 demonstrates the potential use of polymer coated particles for thermal therapy.

Chemical and colloidal stability of carboxylated core-shell magnetite nanoparticles designed for biomedical applications

Despite the large efforts to prepare super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) for biomedical applications, the number of FDA or EMA approved formulations is few. It is not known commonly that the approved formulations in many instances have already been withdrawn or discontinued by the producers; at present, hardly any approved formulations are produced and marketed. Literature survey reveals that there is a lack for a commonly accepted physicochemical practice in designing and qualifying formulations before they enter in vitro and in vivo biological testing. Such a standard procedure would exclude inadequate formulations from clinical trials thus improving their outcome. Here we present a straightforward route to assess eligibility of carboxylated MNPs for biomedical tests applied for a series of our core-shell products, i.e., citric acid, gallic acid, poly(acrylic acid) and poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) coated MNPs. The discussion is based on physicochemical studies (carboxylate adsorption/desorption, FTIR-ATR, iron dissolution, zeta potential, particle size, coagulation kinetics and magnetization measurements) and involves in vitro and in vivo tests. Our procedure can serve as an example to construct adequate physico-chemical selection strategies for preparation of other types of core-shell nanoparticles as well.

Colloidal stability of iron oxide nanocrystals coated with a PEG-based tetra-catechol surfactant

Long-term colloidal stability of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is an important goal that has not yet been fully achieved. To make an advance in our understanding of the colloidal stability of iron oxide NPs in aqueous media, we prepared NPs comprising a monodisperse (13 nm) iron oxide core coated with a PEG-based (PEG: polyethyleneglycol) surfactant. This consists of a methoxy-terminated PEG chain (MW = 5000 Da) bearing four catechol groups via a diethylenetriamine linker. The surfactant was grafted onto the nanocrystals by ligand exchange monitored by infrared spectroscopy. The colloidal stability of these nanoparticles was probed by monitoring the time evolution of the Z-average intensity-weighted radius R(h) and volume-weighted size distribution P(v) obtained from analysis of dynamic light scattering data. The nanoparticles showed no sign of aggregation for four months in deionized water at room temperature and also when subjected to thermal cycling between 25 and 75 °C. In 0.01 M PBS (phosphate buffered saline), aggregation (if any) is slow and partial; after 66 h, about 50% of NPs have not aggregated. Aggregation is more effective in 0.15 M NH(4)AcO buffer, where isolated particles are not observed after 66 h, and especially in acidic NH(4)AcO/AcOH buffer, where aggregation is complete within 1 h and precipitation is observed. The differing stability of the NPs in the above aqueous media is closely related to their ζ potential.

Effect of poly(ethylene oxide)-silane graft molecular weight on the colloidal properties of iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

The size, charge, and stability of colloidal suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and grafted with poly(ethylene glycol)-silane of different molecular weights were studied in water, biological buffers, and cell culture media. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided information on the chemical nature of the nanoparticle surface, indicating the particle surfaces consisted of a mixture of amine groups and grafted polymer. The results indicate that the exposure of the amine groups on the surface decreased as the molecular weight of the polymer increased. The hydrodynamic diameters correlated with PEG graft molecular weight and were in agreement with a distributed density model for the thickness of a polymer shell end-grafted to a particle core. This indicates that the particles obtained consist of single iron oxide cores coated with a polymer brush. Particle surface charge and hydrodynamic diameter were measured as a function of pH, ionic strength, and in biological buffers and cell culture media. DLVO theory was used to analyze the particle stability considering electrostatic, magnetic, steric, and van der Waals interactions. Experimental results and colloidal stability theory indicated that stability changes from electrostatically mediated for a graft molecular weight of 750 g/mol to sterically mediated at molecular weights of 1000 g/mol and above. These results indicate that a graft molecular weight above 1000 g/mol is needed to produce particles that are stable in a wide range of pH and ionic strength, and in cell culture media.