What Are Iron Oxide Nanoparticles?

Iron oxides are common compounds, which are widespread in nature and can be readily synthesized in the laboratory. Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) typically refer to the materials that consist of magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) and have a size ranging from 1 to 100 nm. These nanoparticles can disperse in biological fluids as a result of the Néelian and Brownian relaxations and yet respond to an external magnetic field.

Iron oxide nanoparticles have attracted much consideration due to their unique properties, such as superparamagnetism, surface-to-volume ratio, greater surface area, and easy separation methodology.

What are iron oxide nanoparticles used for?

Iron oxide NPs are used in a rapidly expanding number of research and practical applications in the biomedical field, including magnetic cell labeling separation and tracking, for therapeutic purposes in hyperthermia and drug delivery, and for diagnostic purposes, e.g., as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.  These applications require good NP stability at physiological conditions, close control over NP size and controlled surface presentation of functionalities.

Synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles

In the last decades, much research has been developed to the synthesis of iron oxide NPs, and many reports have described efficient synthesis approaches to produce the shape-controlled, stable, biocompatible, and monodispersed iron oxide NPs. The most common methods including co-precipitation, thermal decomposition, hydrothermal synthesis, microemulsion, sonochemical synthesis, and sonochemical synthetic route can all be directed to the synthesis of high quality of iron oxide NPs. In addition, these NPs can also be prepared by the other methods such as electrochemical synthesis, laser pyrolysis techniques, microorganism or bacterial synthesis (especially the Magnetotactic bacteria and iron reducing bacteria, etc.

Small Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for your research

CD Bioparticles provides a comprehensive list of coated, functionalized and conjugated iron oxide particles in small particle size (0-30 nm), such as Amine, Carboxyl, PEG, Methyl (C1), and Azide. All the particles can be separated from crude extracts by conventional permanent magnets or in high gradient magnetic fields and have broad applications in immunoprecipitation, cell isolation, DNA extraction, purification of protein, DNA and RNA.

Researchers can find various products at CD Bioparticles, such as Absolute Mag™ Oleic Acid Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, 20 nm. These nanoparticles are superparamagnetic nanoparticles with oleic acid surface ligand, and can be used as probing agents to indirectly study the structure of mixed SAMs, solid phase extraction, anode materials for Li-ion batteries, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials.

Reference
1. Tong, S., Zhu, H., & Bao, G. (2019). Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for disease detection and therapy. Materials Today, 31, 86-99.
2. Ali, A., Hira Zafar, M. Z., ul Haq, I., Phull, A. R., Ali, J. S., & Hussain, A. (2016). Synthesis, characterization, applications, and challenges of iron oxide nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, science and applications, 9, 49.
3. Wu, W., Wu, Z., Yu, T., Jiang, C., & Kim, W. S. (2015). Recent progress on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, surface functional strategies and biomedical applications. Science and technology of advanced materials.
4. Amstad, E., Textor, M., & Reimhult, E. (2011). Stabilization and functionalization of iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Nanoscale, 3(7), 2819-2843.

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