Folate-conjugated Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles for in vivo tumor labeling

Highly biocompatible superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by amide of folic acid （FA） ligands and the NH2-group onto the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The as-synthesized folate-conjugated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, FT-IR spectrometer, vibrating sample magnetometer, and dynamic light scattering instrument. The in vivo labeling effect of folate-conjugated Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the hepatoma cells was investigated in tumor-bearing rat. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared nanoparticles have cubic structure of Fe3O4 with a particle size of about 8 nm and hydrated diameter of 25.7 nm at a saturation magnetization of 51 A·m2/kg. These nanoparticles possess good physiological stability, low cytotoxicity on human skin fibroblasts and negligible effect on Wistar rats at the concentration as high as 3 mg/kg body mass. The folate-conjugated Fe3O4 nanoparticles could be effectively mediated into the human hepatoma Bel 7402 cells through the binding of folate and folic acid receptor, enhancing the signal contrast of tumor tissue and surrounding normal tissue in MRI imaging. It is in favor of the tumor cells labeling, tracing, magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） target detection and magnetic hyperthermia.

Size-dependent peroxidase-like catalytic activity of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles

Peroxidase-like catalytic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparficles （NPs） with three different sizes, synthesized by chemical coprecipitation and sol-gel methods, were investigated by UV-vis spectrum analysis. By comparing Fe3O4 NPs with average diameters of 11, 20, and 150 nm, we found that the catalytic activity increases with the reduced nanoparticle size. The electrochemical method to characterize the catalytic activity of Fe3O4 NPs using the response currents of the reaction product and substrate was also developed.

Surface organic modification of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles by silane-coupling agents

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by chemistry co-precipitation and the mean crystal size was 17.9 nm measured by XRD. After it had been treated by silane-coupling agents KH570, magnetic micro-spheres dispersed in organic medium glycol were gained and the mean size of Fe3O4 nanopowders was 33.7 nm. So it can be concluded that magnetic micro-sphere is made of a few Fe3O4 crystals. Many factors of modification were researched, such as the time of ball milling, the content of Fe3O4 and the content of KH570. The modification of Fe3O4 is relative to the time of ball milling, but the dominant function is affected by the content of Fe3O4 and KH570. When the content of Fe3O4 is known, there is a suitable content of KH570. Different content of Fe3O4 will make the different suitable content of KH570, but the range of latter is less than former, which is relative to the distribution of KH570 on Fe3O4 surface or in the solution.

Surface Organic Modification of Fe_3O_4 Magnetic Nanoparticles

The surface organic modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with silane coupling reagent KH570 was studied. The modified and unmodified nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR, XPS and TEM. The spectra of FT-IR and XPS revealed that KH570 was coated onto the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles to get Fe-O- Si bond and an organic coating layer also was formed. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were spheres partly with mean size of 18,8 nm studied by TEM, which was consistent with the result 17.9 nm calculated by Scherrer＇s equation. KH570 was adsorbed on surface and formed chemistry bond to be steric hindrance repulsion which prevented nanoparticles from reuniting. Then glycol-based Fe3O4 magnetic liquids dispersed stably was gained.

Intensification of levofloxacin sono-degradation in a US/H_2O_2 system with Fe_3O_4 magnetic nanoparticles

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) were synthesised, characterised, and used as a peroxidase mimetic to accelerate levofloxacin sono-degradation in an ultrasound(US)/H2O2 system. The Fe3O4 MNPs were in nanometre scale with an average diameter of approximately 12 to 18 nm. The introduction of Fe3O4 MNPs increased levofloxacin sono-degradation in the US/H2O2 system. Experimental parameters, such as Fe3O4 MNP dose, initial solution p H, and H2O2 concentration, were investigated by a one-factor-at-a-time approach. The results showed that Fe3O4 MNPs enhanced levofloxacin removal in the p H range from 4.0 to 9.0. Levofloxacin removal ratio increased with Fe3O4 MNP dose up to 1.0 g·L-1and with H2O2 concentration until reaching the maximum. Moreover, three main intermediate compounds were identified by HPLC with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry, and a possible degradation pathway was proposed. This study suggests that combination of H2O2, Fe3O4 MNPs and US is a good way to improve the degradation efficiency of antibiotics.

Fe_3O_4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Modified Electrode as a Sensor for Determination of Nimesulide

A novel type of Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified glass carbon electrode（Fe3O4/GCE） was constructed and the electrochemical properties of N-（4-nitro-2-phenoxyphenyl）methanesulfonamide（nimesulide） were studied on the Fe3O4/GCE.In 0.4mol/L HAc-NaAc buffer solution（pH=5.0）,the electrode process of nimesulide was irreversible at bare GCE and Fe3O4/GCE.The Fe3O4/GCE exhibited a remarkable catalytic and enhancement effect on the reduction of nimesulide.The reduction peak potential of nimesulide shifted positively from-0.683 V at bare GCE to-0.625 V at Fe3O4/GCE,and the sensitivity was increased by ca.3 times.Some experimental conditions were optimized.The linear range between the peak current and the concentration of nimesulide was 2.6×10-6 ＂1.0×10-4mol/L（R=0.993） with a detection limit of 1.3×10-7mol/L.This method has been used to determine the content of nimesulide in medical tablets.The recovery was determined to be 96.9% ＂101.9% by means of standard addition method.The method is comparable to UV-Vis spectrometry.

Characteristics of magnetic Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles encapsulated with human serum albumin

Magnetic nanoparticles （Fe304） were prepared by chemical precipitation method using Fe^2＋ and Fe^3＋ salts with sodium hydroxide in the nitrogen atmosphere. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated with human serum albumin（HSA） for magnetic resonance imaging as contrast agent. Characteristics of magnetic particles coated or uncoated were carried out using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Zeta potentials, package effects and distributions of colloid particles were measured to confirm the attachment of HSA on magnetic particles. Effects of Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with HSA on magnetic resonance imaging were investigated with rats. The experimental results show that the adsorption of HSA on magnetic particles is very favorable to dispersing of magnetic Fe3O4 particles, while the sizes of Fe3O4 particles coated are related to the molar ratio of Fe3O4 to HSA. The diameters of the majority of particles coated are less than 100 nm. Fe3O4 nanoparticle coated with HSA has a good biocompatibility and low toxicity. This new contrast agent has some effects on the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of liver and the lowest dosage is 20μmol/kg for the demands of diagnosis.

Modification of Fe_3O_4 Magnetic Nanoparticles by L-dopa or Dopamine as an Enzyme Support

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation of Fe^2＋ and Fe^3＋ in an ammonia solution, and its size was about 36 nm measured by an atomic force microscope. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were modified by L-dopa or dopamine using sonication method. The analysis of FTIR clearly indicated the formation of Fe-O-C bond. Direct immobilization of trypsin （EC： 3.4.21.4） on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with L-dopa and dopamine spacer was investigated using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. No significant changes in the size and magnetic property of the three kinds of magnetic nanoparticles linked with or without trypsin were observed. The existence of the spacer molecule on magnetic nanoparticles could greatly improve the activity and the storage stability of bound trypsin through increasing the flexibility of enzyme and changing the microenvironment on nanoparticles surface compared to the naked magnetic nanoparticles.

Static magnetic field-assisted synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and their adsorption of Mn(Ⅱ) in aqueous solution

A facile method for synthesis of the magnetic Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles was introduced.Magnetic nanoparticles were prepared via co-precipitation method with(PMF) and without(AMF) 0.15 T static magnetic field.The effects of magnetic field on the properties of magnetic nanoparticles were studied by XRD,TEM,SEM,VSM and BET.The results showed that the magnetic field in the co-precipitation reaction process did not result in the phase change of the Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles but improved the crystallinity.The morphology of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles was varied from random spherical particles to rod-like cluster structure.The VSM results indicated that the saturation magnetization value of the Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles was significantly improved by the magnetic field.The BET of Fe_3O_4nanoparticles prepared with the magnetic field was larger than the control by 23.5%.The batch adsorption experiments of Mn(Ⅱ) on the PMF and AMF Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles showed that the Mn(II) equilibrium capacity was increased with the pH value increased.At pH 8,the Mn(Ⅱ) adsorption capacity for the PMF and AMF Fe_3O_4 was reached at 36.81 and 28.36 mg·g^(-1),respectively.The pseudo-second-order model fitted better the kinetic models and the Freundlich model fitted isotherm model well for both PMF and AMF Fe_3O_4.The results suggested that magnetic nanoparticles prepared by the magnetic field presented a fairly good potential as an adsorbent for an efficient removal of Mn(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution.

Controllable Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Monodisperse Fe_3O_4 Nanoparticles

Magnetite （Fe3O4） nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes are synthesized by the thermal decomposition method. Two approaches, non-injection one-pot and hot-injection methods, are designed to investigate the growth mechanism in detail. It is found that the size and shape of nanoparticles are determined by adjusting the precursor concentration and duration time, which can be well explained by the mechanism based on the LaMer model in our synthetic system. The monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles have a mean diameter from 5nm to 16nm, and shape evolution from spherical to triangular and cubic. The magnetic properties are size-dependent, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles in small size about 5 nm exhibit superparamagnetie properties at room temperature and maximum saturation magnetization approaches to 78 emu/g, whereas Fe3O4 nanoparticles develop ferromagnetic properties when the diameter increases to about 16nm.

The Film-forming Behavior on the Interface between Air and Hydrosol of Fe_2O_3 Nanoparticles

The film forming behavior on the interface between air and hydrosol of Fe2O3 nanoparticles was investigated by the surface pressure-time isotherms, the surface pressure-trough area isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the freshly prepared hydrosol of Fe2O3 nanoparticles is not stable. The surface pressure increases with the aging time and finally approaches a constant, and the smaller the concentration is, the smaller the surface pressure is stabilized at and the shorter the time the hydrosol reaching stable needs. The surface pressure also increases with compression until collapsed, and the longer the hydrosol is aged, the higher the collapsing pressure is. A uniform and compact film composed of nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 2-3 nm on the air-hydrosol interface is observed by Brewster angle microscope and transmission electron microscope.

Synthesis and characterization of Fe_3O_4 magnetic nanoparticles and their heating effects under radiofrequency capacitive field

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with diameters varying from 10 to 426 nm were synthesized and characterized.Heating effects of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles under radiofrequency capacitive field(RCF) with frequency of 27.12 MHz and power of 60-150 W were investigated.When the power of RCF is lower than 90 W,temperatures of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles(75-150 mg/mL) can be raised and maximal temperatures are all lower than 50 ℃.When the power of RCF is 90-150 W,temperatures of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles can be quickly raised and are all obviously higher than those of normal saline and distilled water under the same conditions.Temperature of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles can even reach 70.2 ℃ under 150 W RCF.Heating effects of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles are related to RCF power,particle size and particle concentration.

Surface Modfication of Fe_3O_4 Nanoparticles

Nanometer particles are important portion of magnetic fluid. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were studied in this paper and the surface modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was investigated by a series of experiments. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized with pH value, temperature, and the dosage of surfactant. The phase, structure, size and magnetism of nanoparticles were tested by X-ray diffration （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and magnetic balance. On the basis of the surface modification coating mechanism, the experimental phenomena and the effects on the variation of size, magnetism and stability of Fe3O4 nanoparticles were theoretically analyzed. X-Ray diffraction spectrum and TEM photograph show that 1） the nanoparticles structure is perfect, 2） the diameter of narnoparticles is small and have good deliquescence, and 3） Sodium oleate is the anion surfactant. Therefore 1） the good condition of surface modification is in an acidic solution, 2） the best temperature of surface modification is at 80 ℃, and 3） the dosage of surfactant should be about 0.6 times of that of Fe^2＋.

Determination of Anionic Surfactants in Environmental Water Samples Using Fluorescence Enhancement Method Based on Fe_3O_4@PAA-RB Fluorescent Nanoparticles

[ Objective] The study aims at developing a novel fluorescence enhancement method to determine anionic surfactants. [ Method] Based on Fe3O4 @ PAA-RB fluorescent nanoparticles as fluorescent probes, we have developed a novel fluorescence enhancement method for the determi- nation of an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） through the gradual optimization of experiment conditions. [ Result] Under the opti- mum conditions, the extent of fluorescence enhancement is directly proportional to SDS concentration varying from 0.5 to 16.0 μmol/L, and the de- tection limit reaches 0.051 μmol/L. The relative standard deviation （RSD） for 4.0 μmol/L SDS is 3.3% （ n =6）. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of SDS in environmental water samples, with recovery of 96.3% -105.5%. E Conclusion] The novel fluo- rescence enhancement method is not only simple and rapid, but also has avoided using tedious solvent-extraction and toxic organic solvents.

Lipase Immobilization onto the Surface of PGMA-b-PDMAEMA-grafted Magnetic Nanoparticles Prepared via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

A block copolymer of 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate(DMAEMA) and glycidyl methacrylate(GMA)was grafted onto the surface of magnetic nanoparticles(Fe3O4) via atom transfer radical polymerization.The resultant PGMA-b-PDMAEMA-grafted-Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with amino and epoxy groups were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was successfully immobilized onto the magnetic nanoparticles by physical adsorption and covalent bonding. The immobilization capacity of the magnetic particles is 0.5 mg lipase per mg support, with an activity recovery of up to 43.1% under the optimum immobilization condition. Biochemical characterization shows that the immobilized lipase exhibits improved thermal stability, good tolerance to organic solvents with high lg P, and higher p H stability than the free lipase at p H 9.0. After six consecutive cycles, the residual activity of the immobilized lipase is still over55% of its initial activity.

Sono-assisted preparation of magnetic ferroferric oxide/graphene oxide nanoparticles and application on dye removal

A simple ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation method was developed to prepare ferroferric oxide/graphene oxide magnetic nanoparticles(Fe_3O_4/CO MNPs).The hysteresis loop of Fe_3O_4/GO MNPs demonstrated that the sample was typical of superparamagnetic material.The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscope,and it is found that the particles are of small size.The Fe_3O_4/GO MNPs were further used as an adsorbent to remove Rhodamine B.The effects of initial pH of the solution,the dosage of adsorbent,temperature,contact time and the presence of interfering dyes on adsorption performance were investigated as well.The adsorption equilibrium and kinetics data were fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudosecond-order kinetic model respectively.The adsorption process followed intra-particle diffusion model with more than one process affecting the adsorption of Rhodamine B.And the adsorption process was endothermic in nature.Furthermore,the magnetic composite with a high adsorption capacity of Rhodamine B could be effectively and simply separated using an external magnetic field.And the used particles could be regenerated and recycled easily.The magnetic composite could find potential applications for the removal of dye pollutants.

Synthesis of magnetic core–shell structure Fe_3O_4@MCM-41 nanoparticle by vesicles in aqueous solutions

In this study, magnetic core–shell structure Fe3O4@MCM-41 nanoparticles were synthesized with vesicles as soft templates. In the preparation, Fe Cl2 and tetraethy orthosilicate(TEOS) were selected as Fe processor and Si precursor, respectively. Stable vesicles first formed in 0.03 mol·L-11:2 mixture of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. Then, TEOS was added in the vesicle aqueous solution, leading to a highly dispersed solution. After high-temperature calcination, Fe3O4@MCM-41 nanoparticles were obtained. Their structure and morphology were characterized by Saturn Digisizer, transmission electron microscope and vibrating sample magneto-meter. The results indicate that the vesicles are spherical and their size could be tuned between 20 and 50 nm. The average grain diameter of synthesize magnetic core–shell Fe3O4@MCM-41 particles is 100–150 nm and most of them are in elliptical shape. The dispersion of magnetic particles is very good and magnetization values are up to 33.44 emu·g-1, which are superior to that of other Fe3O4 materials reported.

Alginate-Coated Fe3O4 Hollow Microspheres for Drug Delivery

Novel hollow Fe3O4 nanoparticles for drug delivery were synthesized via a one-step template- free approach. These nanoparticles were obtained by modifing the Fe3O4 nanoparticles with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxy silane, and then grafting alginate onto the surface of amine magnetic. The hollow structure of Fe3O4 spheres was characterized by TEM, XRD, and XPS. The M-H hysteresis loop indicated that the magnetic spheres exhibit snperparamagnetic characteristics at room temperature. Daunorubicin acting as a model drug was loaded into the carrier, and the maximum percent of envelop and load were 28.4% and 14.2% respectively. The drug controlled releasing behaviors of the carriers were compared in different pH media.

RhB Adsorption Performance of Magnetic Adsorbent Fe_3O_4/RGO Composite and Its Regeneration through A Fenton-like Reaction

Adsorption is one of the most effective technologies in the treatment of colored matter containing wastewater. Graphene related composites display potential to be an effective adsorbent. However, the adsorption mechanism and their regeneration approach are still demanding more efforts. An effective magnetically separable absorbent, Fe3O4 and reduced graphene oxide(RGO) composite has been prepared by an in situ coprecipitation and reduction method. According to the characterizations of TEM, XRD, XPS, Raman spectra and BET analyses, Fe3O4 nanoparticles in sizes of 10-20 nm are well dispersed over the RGO nanosheets, resulting in a highest specific area of 296.2 m2/g. The rhodamine B adsorption mechanism on the composites was investigated by the adsorption kinetics and isotherms. The isotherms are fitting better by Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetic rates depend much on the chemical components of RGO. Compared to active carbon, the composite shows 3.7 times higher adsorption capacity and thirty times faster adsorption rates. Furthermore,with Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the in situ catalysts, the adsorption performance of composites can be restored by carrying out a Fenton-like reaction, which could be a promising regeneration way for the adsorbents in the organic pollutant removal of wastewater.

Controlling the Properties of Solvent-free Fe_3O_4 Nanofluids by Corona Structure

We studied the relationship between corona structure and properties of solvent-free Fe3O4 nanofluids. We proposed a series of corona structures with different branched chains and synthesize different solvent-free nanofluids in order to show the effect of corona structure on the phase behavior, dispersion, as well as rheology properties. Results demonstrate novel liquid-like behaviors without solvent at room temperature. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles content is bigger than 8% and its size is about 23 nm. For the solvent-free nanofluids,the long chain corona has the internal plasticization, which can decrease the loss modulus of system, while the short chain of corona results in the high viscosity of nanofluids. Long alkyl chains of modifiers lead to lower viscosity and better flowability of nanofluids. The rheology and viscosity of the nanofluids are correlated to the microscopic structure of the corona, which provide an in-depth insight into the preparing nanofluids with promising applications based on their tunable and controllable physical properties.