Magnetic Nanoparticles: Design and Characterization, Toxicity and Biocompatibility, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications

Precise control over the synthesis conditions and surface functionalization of MNPs is crucial because it governs their physicochemical properties, their colloidal stability, and their biological behavior/fate. For pharmaceutical and biomedical purposes, magnetic platforms should possess very small size and narrow size distribution together with high magnetization values. Alternatively, great interest has been recently devoted to the development of metal-doped iron oxides with enhanced magnetic properties. The control over the characteristics and structure of the gel can be easily obtained by fixing the hydroxylation and condensation conditions, as well as the kinetics of the growing process. In particular, the pH, the temperature, the nature and concentration of the salt precursors, and the nature of the solvent have been described to influence the synthesis process. Practically, NP formation occurs when the metal precursor is suspended in polyol and heated up to its boiling point, under stirring.