Related Articles

Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia (MFH) is a promising approach towards adjuvant cancer therapy that is based on the localized heating of tumors using the relaxation losses of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in alternating magnetic fields (AMF). In this study, we demonstrate optimization of MFH by tailoring MNP size to an applied AMF frequency. Unlike conventional aqueous synthesis routes, we use organic synthesis routes that offer precise control over MNP size (diameter ~ 10–25 nm), size distribution and phase purity. Furthermore, the particles are successfully transferred to the aqueous phase using a biocompatible amphiphilic polymer, and demonstrate long-term shelf life. A rigorous characterization protocol ensures that the water-stable MNPs meet all the critical requirements: (1) uniform shape and monodispersity, (2) phase purity, (3) stable magnetic properties approaching that of the bulk, (4) colloidal stability, (5) substantial shelf life and (6) pose no significant in vitro toxicity. Using a dedicated hyperthermia system, we then identified that 16 nm monodisperse MNPs (σ ~ 0.175) respond optimally to our chosen AMF conditions (f = 373 kHz, Ho = 14 kA/m); however, with a broader size distribution (σ ~ 0.284) the Specific Loss Power (SLP) decreases by 30%. Finally, we show that these tailored MNPs demonstrate maximum hyperthermia efficiency by reducing viability of Jurkat cells in vitro, suggesting our optimization translates truthfully to cell populations. In summary, we present a way to intrinsically optimize MFH by tailoring the MNPs to any applied AMF, a required precursor to optimize dose and time of treatment.

We report a biocompatible polysiloxane containing amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) (PEO-b-PγMPS), for coating and stabilizing nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Such amphiphilic diblock copolymer which comprises both a hydrophobic segment with “surface anchoring moiety” (silane group) and a hydrophilic segment with PEO (Mn=5000 g/mol) was obtained by the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using the PEO macromolecular chain transfer agent. When used for coating paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), copolymers were mixed with hydrophobic oleic acid coated core size uniformed IONPs (D=13 nm) in co-solvent tetrahydrofuran. After being aged over a period of time, resulting monodispersed IONPs can be transferred into aqueous medium. With proper PγMPS block length (Mn=10,000 g/mol), polysiloxane containing diblock copolymers formed a thin layer of coating (~3 nm) around monocrystalline nanoparticles as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments showed excellent T2 weighted contrast effect from coated IONPs with a transverse relaxivity r2=98.6 mM−1s−1 (at 1.5 Tesla). Such thin coating layer has little effect on the relaxivity when compared to that of IONPs coated with conventional amphiphilic copolymer. Polysiloxane containing diblock copolymer coated IONPs are stable without aggregation or binding to proteins in serum when incubated for 24 h in culture medium containing 10% serum. Furthermore, much lower level of intracellular uptake by macrophage cells was observed with polysiloxane containing diblock copolymers coated IONPs, suggesting the reduction of non-specific cell uptakes and antibiofouling effect.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cells is a significant obstacle to the success of chemotherapy in many cancers. The purpose of this research is to test the possibility of docetaxel-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone)/Pluronic F68 (PCL/Pluronic F68) nanoparticles to overcome MDR in docetaxel-resistance human breast cancer cell line. Docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles were prepared by modified solvent displacement method using commercial PCL and self-synthesized PCL/Pluronic F68, respectively. PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles were found to be of spherical shape with a rough and porous surface. The nanoparticles had an average size of around 200 nm with a narrow size distribution. The in vitro drug release profile of both nanoparticle formulations showed a biphasic release pattern. There was an increased level of uptake of PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles in docetaxel-resistance human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 TAX30, when compared with PCL nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of PCL nanoparticles was higher than commercial Taxotere® in the MCF-7 TAX30 cell culture, but the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). However, the PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles achieved significantly higher level of cytotoxicity than both of PCL nanoparticles and Taxotere® (p < 0.05), indicating docetaxel-loaded PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles could overcome multidrug resistance in human breast cancer cells and therefore have considerable potential for treatment of breast cancer.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cells is a significant obstacle to the success of chemotherapy in many cancers. The purpose of this research is to test the possibility of docetaxel-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone)/Pluronic F68 (PCL/Pluronic F68) nanoparticles to overcome MDR in docetaxel-resistance human breast cancer cell line. Docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles were prepared by modified solvent displacement method using commercial PCL and self-synthesized PCL/Pluronic F68, respectively. PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles were found to be of spherical shape with a rough and porous surface. The nanoparticles had an average size of around 200 nm with a narrow size distribution. The in vitro drug release profile of both nanoparticle formulations showed a biphasic release pattern. There was an increased level of uptake of PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles in docetaxel-resistance human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 TAX30, when compared with PCL nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of PCL nanoparticles was higher than commercial Taxotere®in the MCF-7 TAX30 cell culture, but the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). However, the PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles achieved significantly higher level of cytotoxicity than both of PCL nanoparticles and Taxotere®(p < 0.05), indicating docetaxel-loaded PCL/Pluronic F68 nanoparticles could overcome multidrug resistance in human breast cancer cells and therefore have considerable potential for treatment of breast cancer.

Fluorescent nanoparticles with multiple emission wavelengths by a single wavelength excitation are needed in multiplex bioanalysis and molecular imaging. We have prepared silica nanoparticles encapsulated with three organic dyes using a modified Stöber synthesis method. By varying the doping ratio of the three tandem dyes, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-mediated emission signatures can be tuned to have the nanoparticles to exhibit multiple colors under one single wavelength excitation. These nanoparticles are intensely fluorescent, highly photostable, uniform in size and biocompatible. The acceptor emission of the FRET nanoparticles has generated a large Stokes shift which implicates broad applications in biological labeling and imaging. Molecular recognition moieties, such as biotin, can be covalently attached to the nanoparticle surface to allow for specific binding to target molecules. These multicolor FRET silica nanoparticles can be used as barcoding tags for multiplexed signaling. By using these NPs, one can envision a dynamic, multicolor, colocalization methodology to follow proteins, nucleic acids, molecular machines and assemblies within living systems.

Monodispersed cobalt nanoparticles (NPs) with controllable size (8–14 nm) have been synthesized using thermal decomposition of dicobaltoctacarbonyl in organic solvent. The as-synthesized high magnetic moment (125 emu/g) Co NPs are dispersible in various organic solvents, and can be easily transferred into aqueous phase by surface modification using phospholipids. However, the modified hydrophilic Co NPs are not stable as they are quickly oxidized, agglomerated in buffer. Co NPs are stabilized by coating the MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Mn) ferrite shell. Core/shell structured bimagnetic Co/MFe2O4 nanocomposites are prepared with tunable shell thickness (1–5 nm). The Co/MFe2O4 nanocomposites retain the high magnetic moment density from the Co core, while gaining chemical and magnetic stability from the ferrite shell. Comparing to Co NPs, the nanocomposites show much enhanced stability in buffer solution at elevated temperatures, making them promising for biomedical applications.

Engineering and functionalizing magnetic nanoparticles have been an area of the extensive research and development in the biomedical and nanomedicine fields. Because their biocompatibility and toxicity are well investigated and better understood, magnetic nanoparticles, especially iron oxide nanoparticles, are better suited materials as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and for image-directed delivery of therapeutics. Given tunable magnetic properties and various surface chemistries from the coating materials, most applications of engineered magnetic nanoparticles take advantages of their superb MRI contrast enhancing capability as well as surface functionalities. It has been found that MRI contrast enhancement by magnetic nanoparticles is highly dependent on the composition, size and surface properties as well as the degree of aggregation of the nanoparticles. Therefore, understanding the relationships between these intrinsic parameters and the relaxivities that contribute to MRI contrast can lead to establishing essential guidance that may direct the design of engineered magnetic nanoparticles for theranostics applications. On the other hand, new contrast mechanism and imaging strategy can be developed based on the novel properties of engineered magnetic nanoparticles. This review will focus on discussing the recent findings on some chemical and physical properties of engineered magnetic nanoparticles affecting the relaxivities as well as the impact on MRI contrast. Furthermore, MRI methods for imaging magnetic nanoparticles including several newly developed MRI approaches aiming at improving the detection and quantification of the engineered magnetic nanoparticles are described.

We report a new one phase method for the synthesis of uniform monodisperse crystalline Ag nanoparticles in aqueous systems that has been developed by using newly synthesized mono and dihydroxylated ionic liquids and cationic surfactants based on 1,3-disubstituted imidazolium cations and halogens anions. The hydroxyl functionalized ionic liquids (HFILs) and hydroxyl functionalized cationic surfactants (HFCSs) also simultaneously acts both as the reductant and protective agent. By changing the carbon chain length, alcohol structure and anion of the 1,3-imidazolium based HFILs and HFCSs the particle size, uniform and dispersibility of nanoparticles in aqueous solvents could be controlled. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, UV-Vis and NMR, were used for characterization of HFILs, HFCSs and silver nanoparticles. TEM studies on the solution showed representative spherical silver nanoparticles with average sizes 2–8 nm, particularly 2.2 nm and 4.5 nm in size range and reasonable narrow particle size distributions (SD-standard distribution) 0.2 nm and 0.5 nm respectively. The all metal nanoparticles are single crystals with face centered cubic (fcc) structure. The silver nanoparticles surface of plasmon resonance band (λmax) around 420 nm broadened and little moved to the long wavelength region that indicating the formation of silver nanoparticles dispersion with broad absorption around infrared (IR) region. Silver complexes of these HFILs as well as different silver nanoparticles dispersions have been tested in vitro against several gram positive and gram negative bacteria and fungus. The silver nanoparticles providing environmentally friendly and high antimicrobial activity agents.

Microbial cells of Pseudomonas delafieldii were coated with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and then immobilized by external application of a magnetic field. Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by a coprecipitation method followed by modification with ammonium oleate. The surface-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles were monodispersed in an aqueous solution and did not precipitate in over 18 months. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the average size of the magnetic particles was found to be in the range from 10 to 15 nm. TEM cross section analysis of the cells showed further that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were for the most part strongly absorbed by the surfaces of the cells and coated the cells. The coated cells had distinct superparamagnetic properties. The magnetization (δs) was 8.39 emu · g−1. The coated cells not only had the same desulfurizing activity as free cells but could also be reused more than five times. Compared to cells immobilized on Celite, the cells coated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles had greater desulfurizing activity and operational stability.

We demonstrate a simple one-step process for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticle aqueous colloids using the multifunctional molecule, dodecylamine (DDA), that electrostatically complexes with aqueous iron ions (one precursor Fe2+ from FeCl2), reduces them, and subsequently caps the nanoparticles. The iron oxide particles thus synthesized are of the face-centered cubic (FCC) phase with high degree of monodispersity with appropriate concentration of amine capping molecular layer. The aqueous magnetic nanocrystalline colloids were characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS, TGA/DTA and FTIR spectroscopy techniques. The relaxivity, stability, and hydrodynamic size of the nanoparticles were investigated for potential application in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The magnetic properties were also studied by using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer at room temperature. We believe that such simple one-step synthesis of biocompatible aqueous nanomagnetic colloids will have viable applications in biomedical imaging, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Nanoparticles with gold shell and iron core have unique optical and magnetic properties which can be utilized for simultaneous detection and treatment strategies. Several nanoparticles have been synthesized and shown to mediate a variety of potential applications in biomedicine, including cancer molecular optical and magnetic resonance imaging, controlled drug delivery, and photothermal ablation therapy. However, to be effective, these nanoparticles must be delivered efficiently into their targets. In this review, we will provide an updated summary of the gold-shelled magnetic nanoparticles that have been synthesized, methods for characterization, and their potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. We will also discuss the biological barriers that need to be overcome for the effective delivery of these nanoparticles. The desired nanoparticle characteristics needed to evade these biological barriers were also explained. Hopefully, this review will help researchers in designing nanoparticles by carefully choosing the optimum size, shape, surface charge, and surface coating.

Summary

We propose an original route to prepare magnetic alloy nanoparticles with uniform size and shape by using nanosecond annealing under pulsed laser irradiation. As demonstrated here on CoPt nanoparticles, flash laser annealing gives an unprecedented opportunity to control the size and the shape of bimetallic nanoparticles without changing their composition. The mechanisms involved in the complete reshaping of the nanoparticle thin films are discussed and it is also shown that order-disorder phase transformations occur under laser irradiation. This technique is then very interesting for magnetic alloy nanoparticles studies and applications because it opens up a new way to fabricate size-controlled spherical nanoparticles with narrow size dispersion.

Purpose

Recent advances in nanotechnology have resulted in the manufacture of a plethora of nanoparticles with different sizes, shapes, core physicochemical properties and surface modifications that are being investigated for potential medical applications, particularly for the treatment of cancer. This review focuses on the therapeutic use of customized gold nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes that efficiently generate heat upon electromagnetic (light and magnetic fields) stimulation after direct injection into tumors or preferential accumulation in tumors following systemic administration. This review will also focus on the evolving strategies to improve the therapeutic index of prostate cancer treatment using nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia.

Conclusions

Nanoparticle-mediated thermal therapy is a new and minimally invasive tool in the armamentarium for the treatment of cancers. Unique challenges posed by this form of hyperthermia include the non-target biodistribution of nanoparticles in the reticuloendothelial system when administered systemically, the inability to visualize or quantify the global concentration and spatial distribution of these particles within tumors, the lack of standardized thermal modeling and dosimetry algorithms, and the concerns regarding their biocompatibility. Nevertheless, novel particle compositions, geometries, activation strategies, targeting techniques, payload delivery strategies, and radiation dose enhancement concepts are unique attributes of this form of hyperthermia that warrant further exploration. Capitalizing on these opportunities and overcoming these challenges offers the possibility of seamless and logical translation of this nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia paradigm from the bench to the bedside.

Coprecipitated ferrite nanoparticles were coated with carbon using a hydrothermal method. From transmission electron microscope pictures, we could see that the coated iron oxide nanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average diameter of 90 nm. The strong bonding of carbon on the nanoparticle surfaces was checked by noting the C = O and C = C vibrations in Fourier transform infrared spectra. The spin-lattice relaxation process [T1] and spin-spin relaxation process [T2] relaxivities of hydrogen protons in the aqueous solution of coated nanoparticles were determined to be 1.139 (mM·s)-1 and 1.115 (mM·s)-1, respectively. These results showed that the carbon-coated iron oxide nanoparticles are applicable as both T1 and T2 contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging.

PACS: 81.05.y; 76.60.Es; 61.46; 75.50.k; 87.61.

Inorganic nanoparticles including semiconductor quantum dots, iron oxide nanoparticles, and gold nanoparticles have been developed as contrast agents for diagnostics by molecular imaging. Compared to traditional contrast agents, nanoparticles offer several advantages: their optical and magnetic properties can be tailored by engineering the composition, structure, size, and shape; their surfaces can be modified with ligands to target specific biomarkers of disease; the contrast enhancement provided can be equivalent to millions of molecular counterparts; and they can be integrated with a combination of different functions for multi-modal imaging. Here, we review recent advances in the development of contrast agents based on inorganic nanoparticles for molecular imaging, with a touch on contrast enhancement, surface modification, tissue targeting, clearance, and toxicity. As research efforts intensify, contrast agents based on inorganic nanoparticles that are highly sensitive, target-specific, and safe to use are expected to enter clinical applications in the near future.

Silver nanoparticles are extensively used due to their chemical and physical properties and promising applications in areas such as medicine and electronics. Controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles remains a major challenge due to the difficulty in producing long-term stable particles of the same size and shape in aqueous solution. To address this problem, we examine three strategies to stabilise aqueous solutions of 15 nm citrate-reduced silver nanoparticles using organic polymeric capping, bimetallic core-shell and bimetallic alloying. Our results show that these strategies drastically improve nanoparticle stability by distinct mechanisms. Additionally, we report a new role of polymer functionalisation in preventing further uncontrolled nanoparticle growth. For bimetallic nanoparticles, we attribute the presence of a higher valence metal on the surface of the nanoparticle as one of the key factors for improving their long-term stability. Stable silver-based nanoparticles, free of organic solvents, will have great potential for accelerating further environmental and nanotoxicity studies.

PACS: 81.07.-b; 81.16.Be; 82.70.Dd.

Nanoparticles have proven to be an effective delivery system with few side effects for anticancer drugs. In this study, gemcitabine-loaded nanoparticles have been prepared by an ionic gelation method using chitosan and Pluronic® F-127 as a carrier. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized using dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Different parameters such as concentration of sodium tripolyphosphate, chitosan, Pluronic, and drug on the properties of the prepared nanoparticles were evaluated. In vitro drug release was studied in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH = 7.4). The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was assayed in the HT-29 colon cancer cell line. The mucoadhesion behavior of the nanoparticles was also studied by mucus glycoprotein assay. The prepared nanoparticles had a spherical shape with positive charge and a mean diameter ranging between 80 to 170 nm. FT-IR and DSC studies found that the drug was dispersed in its amorphous form due to its potent interaction with nanoparticle matrix. Maximum drug encapsulation efficiency was achieved at 0.4 mg/mL gemcitabine while maximum drug loading was 6% obtained from 0.6 mg/mL gemcitabine. An in vitro drug release study at 37°C in PBS (pH = 7.4) exhibited a controlled release profile for chitosan–Pluronic® F-127 nanoparticles. A cytotoxicity assay of gemcitabine-loaded nanoparticles showed an increase in the cytotoxicity of gemcitabine embedded in the nanoparticles in comparison with drug alone. The mucoadhesion study results suggest that nanoparticles could be considered as an efficient oral formulation for colon cancer treatment.

Hydrophobic magnetite nanoparticles synthesized from thermal decomposition of iron salts must be rendered hydrophilic for their application as MRI contrast agents. This process requires refunctionalizing the surface of the nanoparticles with a hydrophilic organic coating such as polyethylene glycol. Two parameters were found to influence the magnetic behavior and relaxivity of the resulting hydrophilic iron oxide nanoparticles: the functionality of the anchoring group and the protocol followed for the functionalization. Nanoparticles coated with PEGs via a catecholate-type anchoring moiety maintain the saturation magnetization and relaxivity of the hydrophobic magnetite precursor. Other anchoring functionalities, such as phosphonate, carboxylate, and dopamine decrease the magnetization and relaxivity of the contrast agent. The protocol for functionalizing the nanoparticles also influences the magnetic behavior of the material. Nanoparticles refunctionalized according to a direct biphasic protocol exhibit higher relaxivity than those refunctionalized according to a two-step procedure which first involves stripping the nanoparticles. This research presents the first systematic study of both the binding moiety and the functionalization protocol on the relaxivity and magnetization of water-soluble coated iron oxide nanoparticles used as MRI contrast agents.

The effect of nanoparticle size (30–120 nm) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of hepatic lesions in vivo has been systematically examined using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (PVP-IOs). Such biocompatible PVP-IOs with different sizes were synthesized by a simple one-pot pyrolysis method. These PVP-IOs exhibited good crystallinity and high T2 relaxivities, and the relaxivity increased with the size of the magnetic nanoparticles. It was found that cellular uptake changed with both size and surface physiochemical properties, and that PVP-IO-37 with a core size of 37 nm and hydrodynamic particle size of 100 nm exhibited higher cellular uptake rate and greater distribution than other PVP-IOs and Feridex. We systematically investigated the effect of nanoparticle size on MRI of normal liver and hepatic lesions in vivo. The physical and chemical properties of the nanoparticles influenced their pharmacokinetic behavior, which ultimately determined their ability to accumulate in the liver. The contrast enhancement of PVP-IOs within the liver was highly dependent on the overall size of the nanoparticles, and the 100 nm PVP-IO-37 nanoparticles exhibited the greatest enhancement. These results will have implications in designing engineered nanoparticles that are optimized as MR contrast agents or for use in therapeutics.

Background

Silica nanoparticles are being developed as a host of biomedical and biotechnological applications. For this reason, there are more studies about biocompatibility of silica with amorphous and crystalline structure. Except hydrated silica (opal), despite is presents directly and indirectly in humans. Two sizes of crystalline opal nanoparticles were investigated in this work under criteria of toxicology.

Methods

In particular, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects caused by opal nanoparticles (80 and 120 nm) were evaluated in cultured mouse cells via a set of bioassays, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU).

Results

3T3-NIH cells were incubated for 24 and 72 h in contact with nanocrystalline opal particles, not presented significant statistically difference in the results of cytotoxicity. Genotoxicity tests of crystalline opal nanoparticles were performed by the BrdU assay on the same cultured cells for 24 h incubation. The reduction of BrdU-incorporated cells indicates that nanocrystalline opal exposure did not caused unrepairable damage DNA.

Conclusions

There is no relationship between that particles size and MTT reduction, as well as BrdU incorporation, such that the opal particles did not induce cytotoxic effect and genotoxicity in cultured mouse cells.

Successful translation of the use of nanoparticles from laboratories to clinics requires exhaustive and elaborate studies involving the biodistribution, clearance and biocompatibility of nanoparticles for in vivo biomedical applications. We report here the use of multimodal organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles for in vivo bioimaging, biodistribution, clearance and toxicity studies. We have synthesized ORMOSIL nanoparticles with diameters of 20-25 nm, conjugated with near infra-red (NIR) fluorophores and radiolabelled them with 124I, for optical and PET imaging in vivo. The biodistribution of the non targeted nanoparticles was studied in non-tumored nude mice by optical fluorescence imaging, as well by measuring the radioactivity from harvested organs. Biodistribution studies showed a greater accumulation of nanoparticles in liver, spleen and stomach than in kidney, heart and lungs. The clearance studies carried out over a period of 15 days indicated hepatobiliary excretion of the nanoparticles. Selected tissues were analyzed for any potential toxicity by histological analysis, which confirmed the absence of any adverse effect or any other abnormalities in the tissues. The results demonstrate that these multimodal nanoparticles have potentially ideal attributes for use as biocompatible probes for in vivo imaging.

This study reports the magnetic and cytotoxicity properties of magnetic nanoparticles of La1−xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 by a simple thermal decomposition method by using acetate salts of La, Sr, and Mn as starting materials in aqueous solution. To obtain the LSMO nanoparticles, thermal decomposition of the precursor was carried out at the temperatures of 600, 700, 800, and 900 °C for 6 h. The synthesized LSMO nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and SEM. Structural characterization shows that the prepared particles consist of two phases of LaMnO3 (LMO) and LSMO with crystallite sizes ranging from 20 nm to 87 nm. All the prepared samples have a perovskite structure with transformation from cubic to rhombohedral at thermal decomposition temperature higher than 900 °C in LSMO samples of x ≤ 0.3. Basic magnetic characteristics such as saturated magnetization (MS) and coercive field (HC) were evaluated by vibrating sample magnetometry at room temperature (20 °C). The samples show paramagnetic behavior for all the samples with x = 0 or LMO, and a superparamagnetic behavior for the other samples having MS values of ~20–47 emu/g and the HC values of ~10–40 Oe, depending on the crystallite size and thermal decomposition temperature. Cytotoxicity of the synthesized LSMO nanoparticles was also evaluated with NIH 3T3 cells and the result shows that the synthesized nanoparticles were not toxic to the cells as determined from cell viability in response to the liquid extract of LSMO nanoparticles.

This study reports the magnetic and cytotoxicity properties of magnetic nanoparticles of La1−xSrxMnO3(LSMO) withx = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 by a simple thermal decomposition method by using acetate salts of La, Sr, and Mn as starting materials in aqueous solution. To obtain the LSMO nanoparticles, thermal decomposition of the precursor was carried out at the temperatures of 600, 700, 800, and 900 °C for 6 h. The synthesized LSMO nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and SEM. Structural characterization shows that the prepared particles consist of two phases of LaMnO3(LMO) and LSMO with crystallite sizes ranging from 20 nm to 87 nm. All the prepared samples have a perovskite structure with transformation from cubic to rhombohedral at thermal decomposition temperature higher than 900 °C in LSMO samples ofx ≤ 0.3. Basic magnetic characteristics such as saturated magnetization (MS) and coercive field (HC) were evaluated by vibrating sample magnetometry at room temperature (20 °C). The samples show paramagnetic behavior for all the samples withx = 0 or LMO, and a superparamagnetic behavior for the other samples havingMSvalues of ~20–47 emu/g and theHCvalues of ~10–40 Oe, depending on the crystallite size and thermal decomposition temperature. Cytotoxicity of the synthesized LSMO nanoparticles was also evaluated with NIH 3T3 cells and the result shows that the synthesized nanoparticles were not toxic to the cells as determined from cell viability in response to the liquid extract of LSMO nanoparticles.

In this work the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles functionalized by a novel thiol-organometallic complex containing Pd(II) centers is presented. Pd(II) thiol, trans, trans-[dithiolate-dibis(tributylphosphine)dipalladium(II)-4,4′-diethynylbiphenyl] was synthesized and linked to Au nanoparticles by the chemical reduction of a metal salt precursor. The new hybrid made of organometallic Pd(II) thiol-gold nanoparticles, shows through a single S bridge a direct link between Pd(II) and Au nanoparticles. The size-control of the Au nanoparticles (diameter range 2–10 nm) was achieved by choosing the suitable AuCl4−/thiol molar ratio. The size, strain, shape, and crystalline structure of these functionalized nanoparticles were determined by a full-pattern X-ray powder diffraction analysis, high-resolution TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements of the hybrid system show emission peaks at 418 and 440 nm. The hybrid was exposed to gaseous NOx with the aim to evaluate the suitability for applications in sensor devices; XPS measurements permitted to ascertain and investigate the hybrid –gas interaction.

In this work the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles functionalized by a novel thiol-organometallic complex containing Pd(II) centers is presented. Pd(II) thiol,trans, trans-[dithiolate-dibis(tributylphosphine)dipalladium(II)-4,4′-diethynylbiphenyl] was synthesized and linked to Au nanoparticles by the chemical reduction of a metal salt precursor. The new hybrid made of organometallic Pd(II) thiol-gold nanoparticles, shows through a single S bridge a direct link between Pd(II) and Au nanoparticles. The size-control of the Au nanoparticles (diameter range 2–10 nm) was achieved by choosing the suitable AuCl4−/thiol molar ratio. The size, strain, shape, and crystalline structure of these functionalized nanoparticles were determined by a full-pattern X-ray powder diffraction analysis, high-resolution TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements of the hybrid system show emission peaks at 418 and 440 nm. The hybrid was exposed to gaseous NOxwith the aim to evaluate the suitability for applications in sensor devices; XPS measurements permitted to ascertain and investigate the hybrid –gas interaction.