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Effect of the hybrid composition on the physicochemical properties and morphology of iron oxide–gold nanoparticles

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Abstract

Hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) formed from iron oxide cores and gold nano-shells are becoming increasingly applicable in biomedicine. However, little investigation has been carried out on the effects of the constituent components on their physical characteristics. Here we determine the effect of polymer intermediate, gold nano-shell thickness and magnetic iron oxide core diameter on the morphological and physical properties of these nano-hybrids. Our findings suggest that the use of polymer intermediate directly impacts the morphology of the nanostructure formed. Here, we observed the formation of nano-sphere and nano-star structures by varying the cationic polymer intermediate. The nano-stars formed have a larger magnetic coercivity, T 2 relaxivity and exhibited a unique characteristic nano-heating pattern upon laser irradiation. Increasing the iron oxide core diameter resulted in a greater T 2 relaxivity enhanced and nano-heating capabilities due to increased surface area. Increasing the gold nano-shell thickness resulted in a decreased efficiency as a nano-heater along with a decrease in T 2 relaxivity. These results highlight the importance of identifying the key traits required when fabricating HNPs in order to tailor them to specific applications.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the School of Pharmacy and the Institute of Science and Technology, Keele University. The authors would like to thank Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri for early discussions. ICP studies were carried out in the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University with the help of David Thompson. The authors wish to thank Dr. Paul Roach and Dr. Ying Yang for the use of the TGA at the Institute of Science and Technology for Medicine. PCS and zeta potential measurements were carried out in Professor John Dobson’s laboratory in the Institute of Science and Technology for Medicine, Keele University. All MRI measurements were carried out in Professor Andreas Melzer’s laboratory in Institute of Medical Science and Technology, University of Dundee. The magnetometer used in this research was obtained through the Science City Advanced Materials Project: Creating and Characterizing Next Generation Advanced Materials Project, with support from Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK

    C. M. Barnett

  2. Institute of Medical Science and Technology, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD2 1FD, UK

    M. Gueorguieva

  3. Physics Department, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

    M. R. Lees

  4. Lennard-Jones Laboratories, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK

    D. J. McGarvey & R. J. Darton

  5. Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK

    C. Hoskins

Authors
  1. C. M. Barnett
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  2. M. Gueorguieva
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  3. M. R. Lees
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  4. D. J. McGarvey
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  5. R. J. Darton
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  6. C. Hoskins
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Correspondence to C. Hoskins.

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Barnett, C.M., Gueorguieva, M., Lees, M.R. et al. Effect of the hybrid composition on the physicochemical properties and morphology of iron oxide–gold nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 14, 1170 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1170-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1170-4

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