Synthesis and characterization of multifunctional Fe3O4/poly(fluorescein O-methacrylate) core/shell nanoparticles

pH-Controlled fluorescence switching in water-dispersed polymer brushes grafted to modified boron nitride nanotubes for cellular imaging

pH-Switchable, fluorescent, hybrid, water-dispersible nanomaterials based on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and grafted copolymer brushes (poly(acrylic acid-co-fluorescein acrylate) - P(AA-co-FA)) were successfully fabricated in a two-step process. The functionalization of BNNTs was confirmed by spectroscopic, gravimetric and imaging techniques. In contrast to "pure" BNNTs, P(AA-co-FA)-functionalized BNNTs demonstrate intense green fluorescence emission at 520 nm. Under neutral or alkaline pH values, P(AA-co-FA)-functionalized BNNTs are highly emissive in contrast to acidic pH conditions where the fluorescent intensity is absent or low. No increase in the absorption was observed when the suspension pH was increased from 7 to 10. The functionalized BNNTs are easily taken up by human normal prostate epithelium (PNT1A) and human prostate cancer cell lines (DU145) and are suitable for further evaluation in cellular imaging applications.

Magnetically Navigated Core-Shell Polymer Capsules as Nanoreactors Loadable at the Oil/Water Interface

Polymer core-shell nanocapsules with magnetic nanoparticles embedded in their oil cores were fabricated and applied as nano(photo)reactors. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with oleic acid were first synthesized and characterized structurally, and their magnetic properties were determined. The capsules with chitosan-based shells were then formed in a one-step process by sonication-assisted mixing of (1) an aqueous solution of the hydrophobically derived chitosan and (2) oleic acid containing the dispersed SPIONs. In this way, magnetic capsules with a diameter of approximately 500-600 nm containing encapsulated SPIONs with an average diameter of approximately 20-30 nm were formed as revealed by dynamic light scattering and scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements. The composition and magnetic properties of the formed capsules were also followed using dynamic light scattering, electron microscopies, and magnetic force microscopy. The water-dispersible capsules, thanks to their magnetic properties, were then navigated in a static magnetic field gradient and transferred between the water and oil phases, as evidenced by fluorescence microscopy. In this way, the capsules could be loaded in a controlled way with a hydrophobic reactant, perylene, which was later photooxidized upon transferring the capsules to the aqueous phase. The capsules were shown to serve as robust reloadable nanoreactors/nanocontainers that via magnetic navigation can be transferred between immiscible phases without disruption. These features make them promising reusable systems not only for loading and carrying lipophilic actives, conducting useful reactions in the confined environment of the capsules, but also for magnetically separating and guiding the encapsulated active molecules to the site of action.

Synthesis, characterization and promising properties of Fe3O4/CdSe nanocomposite

Nowadays there is a continuously increasing worldwide concern for the utilization of magnetic semiconductor nanocomposites. We synthesized bifunctional magnetic–luminescent nanocomposites with Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the cores and CdSe as the shells by a facile direct precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the obtained bifunctional nanocomposites had a core–shell structure, in a spherical shape with a particle radius of about 10.3nm, and the shell thickness of about 2.2nm. The flower shape is due to the inhomogeneous growth of CdSe due to the presence of many active sites which turn to be nucleation centers for the CdSe on the surface of the nano-magnetite. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed a cubic spinel structure of the Fe3O4 core. Magnetic measurements indicated that the presence of CdSe in the composite reduces its magnetic properties. Optical measurements of the Fe3O4/CdSe nanocomposite show that the prepared samples have dual functions, optical tunable band gap of the semiconductor quantum dots and the magnetic properties of magnetite. This type of composites would be considered as dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS).

Quantitative measurement of ligand exchange on iron oxides via radiolabeled oleic acid

Ligand exchange of hydrophilic molecules on the surface of hydrophobic iron oxide nanoparticles produced via thermal decomposition of chelated iron precursors is a common method for producing aqueous suspensions of particles for biomedical applications. Despite the wide use, relatively little is understood about the efficiency of ligand exchange on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles and how much of the hydrophobic ligand is removed. To address this issue, we utilized a radiotracer technique to track the exchange of a radiolabeled (14)C-oleic acid ligand with hydrophilic ligands on the surface of magnetite nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with (14)C-oleic acid were modified with poly(ethylene glycol) with terminal functional groups including, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, a nitrated L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, carboxylic acid, a phosphonate, and an amine. Following ligand exchange, the nanoparticles and byproducts were analyzed using liquid scintillation counting and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The labeled and unlabeled particles were further characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering to determine particle size, hydrodynamic diameter, and zeta potential. The unlabeled particles were characterized via thermogravimetric analysis and vibrating sample magnetometry. Radioanalytical determination of the (14)C from (14)C-oleic acid was used to calculate the amount of oleic acid remaining on the surface of the particles after purification and ligand exchange. There was a significant loss of oleic acid on the surface of the particles after ligand exchange with amounts varying for the different functional binding groups on the poly(ethylene glycol). Nonetheless, all samples demonstrated some residual oleic acid associated with the particles. Quantification of the oleic acid remaining after ligand exchange reveals a binding hierarchy in which catechol derived anchor groups displace oleic acid on the surface of the nanoparticles better than the phosphonate, followed by the amine and carboxylic acid groups. Furthermore, the results show that these ligand exchange reactions do not necessarily occur to completion as is often assumed, thus leaving a residual amount of oleic acid on the surface of the particles. A thorough analysis of ligand exchange is required to develop nanoparticles that are suitable for their desired application.

Electrocatalytic activity of core/shell magnetic nanocomposite

Electrically active magnetic nanocomposites (EAMNCs), Au nanoparticles/self-doped polyaniline@Fe3O4 (AuNPs/SPAN@Fe3O4) with well-defined core/shell structure, were first synthesized by a simple method. The morphology and composition of the as-synthesized AuNPs/SPAN@Fe3O4 nanocomposite have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-AuNPs/SPAN@Fe3O4 biocomposites were immobilized onto the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode to construct an amperometric hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) biosensor. The effects of HRP dosage, solution pH, and the working potential on the current response toward H2O2 reduction were optimized to obtain the maximal sensitivity. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed biosensor exhibited a linear calibration response in the range of 0.05 to 0.35mM and 0.35 to 1.85mM, with a detection limit of 0.01mM (signal-to-noise ratio=3). The modified electrode could virtually eliminate the interference of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) during the detection of H2O2. Furthermore, the biosensor was applied to detect H2O2 concentration in real samples, which showed acceptable accuracy with the traditional potassium permanganate titration.