Regarding their tremendous potential in nanomedicine as nano-heaters for killing cancer cells by magnetic hyperthermia (MH) and as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, synthetic methods to access iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with controlled size, shape and thus magnetic properties, have been strongly awaited. To this aim, we have explored the polyol synthetic route, initially introduced by Caruntu <i>et al.</i>, for the synthesis of readily water-dispersible IONPs. The polyol synthesis offers a good compromise between size/shape control and up-scalability for potential industrial production. The polyol medium serves simultaneously as a high boiling point solvent and as a chelator and reducing reactant. Our work particularly sheds light on the utmost importance of stoichiometric amounts of water at critical steps of the synthesis, causing significant changes in the structure and properties of IONPs, in agreement with the forced hydrolysis mechanism proposed to describe the nucleation process. A parametric study was conducted by changing different factors affecting nucleation and growth, resulting in a library of more than 40 different homogenous IONP batches with high magnetic properties as well as reproducible size and shape. By deciphering the forced hydrolysis mechanism, our study yielded mono-core (nanospheres) or multi-core (nanoflowers) IONPs, with optimal properties for MH, MRI, or both.

Tuning sizes, morphologies, and magnetic properties of mono- <i>vs</i>. multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles through controlled addition of water in the polyol synthesis

254th National Meeting (2017)

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Tuning sizes, morphologies, and magnetic properties of mono- vs. multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles through controlled addition of water in the polyol synthesis