1. Introduction 20642. Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles 20662.1. Classical Synthesis by Coprecipitation 20662.2. Reactions in Constrained Environments 20682.3. Hydrothermal and High-TemperatureReactions20692.4. Sol-Gel Reactions 20702.5. Polyol Methods 20712.6. Flow Injection Syntheses 20712.7. Electrochemical Methods 20712.8. Aerosol/Vapor Methods 20712.9. Sonolysis 20723. Stabilization of Magnetic Particles 20723.1. Monomeric Stabilizers 20723.1.1. Carboxylates 20733.1.2. Phosphates 20733.2. Inorganic Materials 20733.2.1. Silica 20733.2.2. Gold 20743.3. Polymer Stabilizers 20743.3.1. Dextran 20743.3.2. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 20753.3.3. Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) 20753.3.4. Alginate 20753.3.5. Chitosan 20753.3.6. Other Polymers 20753.4. Other Strategies for Stabilization 20764. Methods of Vectorization of the Particles 20765. Structural and Physicochemical Characterization 20785.1. Size, Polydispersity, Shape, and SurfaceCharacterization20795.2. Structure of Ferro- or FerrimagneticNanoparticles20805.2.1. Ferro- and Ferrimagnetic Nanoparticles 20805.3. Use of Nanoparticles as Contrast Agents forMRI20825.3.1. High Anisotropy Model 20845.3.2. Small Crystal and Low Anisotropy EnergyLimit20855.3.3. Practical Interests of Magnetic NuclearRelaxation for the Characterization ofSuperparamagnetic Colloid20855.3.4. Relaxation of Agglomerated Systems 20856. Applications 20866.1. MRI: Cellular Labeling, Molecular Imaging(Inﬂammation, Apoptose, etc.)20866.2.

Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Stabilization, Vectorization, Physicochemical Characterizations, and Biological Applications

TOPICAL REVIEW: Applications of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine

High-temperature solution phase reaction of iron(III) acetylacetonate, Fe(acac)3, with 1,2-hexadecanediol in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine leads to monodisperse magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. Similarly, reaction of Fe(acac)3 and Co(acac)2 or Mn(acac)2 with the same diol results in monodisperse CoFe2O4 or MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Particle diameter can be tuned from 3 to 20 nm by varying reaction conditions or by seed-mediated growth. The as-synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles have a cubic spinel structure as characterized by HRTEM, SAED, and XRD. Further, Fe3O4 can be oxidized to Fe2O3, as evidenced by XRD, NEXAFS spectroscopy, and SQUID magnetometry. The hydrophobic nanoparticles can be transformed into hydrophilic ones by adding bipolar surfactants, and aqueous nanoparticle dispersion is readily made. These iron oxide nanoparticles and their dispersions in various media have great potential in magnetic nanodevice and biomagnetic applications.

Monodisperse MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Mn) Nanoparticles

The physical principles underlying some current biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles are reviewed. Starting from well-known basic concepts, and drawing on examples from biology and biomedicine, the relevant physics of magnetic materials and their responses to applied magnetic fields are surveyed. The way these properties are controlled and used is illustrated with reference to (i) magnetic separation of labelled cells and other biological entities; (ii) therapeutic drug, gene and radionuclide delivery; (iii) radio frequency methods for the catabolism of tumours via hyperthermia; and (iv) contrast enhancement agents for magnetic resonance imaging applications. Future prospects are also discussed.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/36/13/201/pdf

Applications of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine

In this chapter, we will restrict our attention to the ferrites and a few other closely related materials. The great interest in ferrites stems from their unique combination of a spontaneous magnetization and a high electrical resistivity. The observed magnetization results from the difference in the magnetizations of two non-equivalent sub-lattices of the magnetic ions in the crystal structure. Materials of this type should strictly be designated as “ferrimagnetic” and in some respects are more closely related to anti-ferromagnetic substances than they are to ferromagnetics in which the magnetization results from the parallel alignment of all the magnetic moments present. We shall not adhere to this special nomenclature except to emphasize effects, which are due to the existence of the sub-lattices.

Ferromagnetic materials

A method is presented by means of which (for a ferrofluid with a lognormal distribution of particle size) it is possible to determine the standard deviation (σ) and median particle diameter (D v ) from the room temperature magnetisation curve. The method has been applied to several commercial ferrofluids, containing ferrite particles, and to fluids consisting of cobalt particles in toluene prepared by the method of Hess and Parker. The particle size distributions have also been measured by using an electron microscope. It has been found that the magnetic data gives estimates of the 'magnetic size distribution' parameters D vm and σ m , which differed from the 'physical size distribution' parameters D vp and σ p obtained from electron microscope data. It is found that D vp > D vm , and \sigma_{p} . These observations are consistent with the results of Kaiser and Miskolczy and Granqvist and Buhrman.

Measurements of particle size distribution parameters in ferrofluids

Monte Carlo techniques have been used to investigate the effects of magnetostatic and repulsive particle interactions on the formation of agglomerates in a magnetic fluid The dependence on particle size and applied field of the form of the agglomerates was studied using a spatial distribution function which allows a quantitative distinction to be made between clusters and anisotropic chain structures Magnetization curves have been calculated for magnetic particle sizes varying from 5 to 15 nm with and without magnetostatic interactions For the larger particle sizes, it was found that the initial susceptibility is reduced in the presence of interactions This is associated with the presence of pronounced agglomeration in zero field, where open clusters are formed As the applied field is increased the clusters break up to form long chains aligned in the field direction At intermediate particle sizes, there is evidence of magnetic field induced agglomeration leading to the formation of dimers and trimers preferentially aligned in the field direction The smallest particle size showed little evidence of ordering even in strong applied fields, since thermal disordering dominates the situation

Agglomerate formation in a magnetic fluid

A new method of binding bovine serum albumin on to freshly precipitated magnetic particles is reported. The binding was confirmed by electron micrograph studies, magnetic measurements and FTIR spectroscopy. Under optimum conditions more than 90% of the protein was bound to the magnetic particles. When alkaline phosphatase was immo-bilised using this method, it retained 75% enzyme activity. The method may prove to be applicable to radio-immuno assays (binding of antibodies to magnetic particles), cell and enzyme immobilisation and in affinity chromatography

Direct binding of protein to magnetic particles

The low-field complex susceptibility curves of ferrofluids have in general a Debye-type profile with a loss component which peaks at a frequency from which it is possible to estimate the average relaxation time of the particles in the ferrofluid. The authors report on magnetic measurements on a water-based ferrofluid whose loss curve displayed two distinct peaks. It is concluded that one peak is due to Brownian relaxation and the other is due to a combination of Brownian and Neel relaxation.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/22/1/027/pdf

S.W. Charles

Papers

Measurements of particle size distribution parameters in ferrofluids

Agglomerate formation in a magnetic fluid

Direct binding of protein to magnetic particles

The study of a ferrofluid exhibiting both Brownian and Neel relaxation

The observation of multi-axial anisotropy in ultrafine cobalt ferrite particles used in magnetic fluids