Iron oxide nanoparticles have demonstrated immense utility for biomedical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug targeting, as well as for magnetic separation, catalysis, and diverse materials applications. Currently, there is great interest in designing custom ligands for iron oxide nanoparticles to control their solubility, reactivity, functional, and magnetic properties. Unfortunately, there is a lack of clear understanding as to the specific ligand structure required for successful binding and stabilization of the target ligand on the iron oxide surface. This lack of knowledge has severely hindered the synthesis of custom iron oxide nanoparticles.<br/><br/>Carboxylic acids and catechols are common functional groups used as anchors for ligands destined for iron oxide nanoparticles. In order to further understand the relationship between ligand structure and activity, we investigated the surface modification of iron oxide nanoparticles with the model ligands dopamine, salicylic acid, and a family of dihydroxybenzoic acids. Here, we present characterization of the surface binding of these ligands and supply an analysis of the binding motifs. The correlations observed will aid in the rational design of ligands to achieve tailor-made iron oxide nanoparticles.

Controlling the surface modification of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Understanding the binding of benzoic acid and catechol-derived ligands

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.