Tailor-made nanocontainers for combined magnetic-field-induced release and MRI

The synthesis of a novel nanocapsule-based carrier system is described, possessing a triggered release in remote-controlled fashion upon application of an external magnetic field in combination with the possibility to use the capsules as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, polymeric nanocontainers containing a high amount of superparamagnetic MnFe2 O4 nanoparticles and a thermo-degradable shell are fabricated via a miniemulsion route. The process allows the facile encapsulation of hydrophilic compounds, as demonstrated for a model dye. Release of the encapsulated dye is achieved upon application of an external alternating magnetic field. While the magnetic nanoparticles here act as heat generators to stimulate the decomposition of the shell and subsequently a release of the payload, they additionally enable the use of the nanocapsules as imaging agents for MRI. Due to the encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles, the nanocapsules possess high r2 relaxivity values of 96-120 Hz mmol(-1) , which makes them suitable for MRI. In toxicity experiments, the nanocapsules show no cell toxicity up to fairly high concentrations (600 µg mL(-1) ). Due to their dual-functionality, the nanocapsules possess high potential as nanocarriers with combined magnetic-field-induced release capability and as contrast agents for MRI.