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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Using Magnetometry to Monitor Cellular Incorporation and Subsequent Biodegradation of Chemically Synthetized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Published on: February 27, 2021
Non-seeded synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated into silica
Bashiru Kayode Sodipo1, Azlan Abdul Aziz1
1Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology (NOR) Lab, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Abstract:
A non-seeded method of incorporating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) into silica nanoparticles is presented. Mixture of both SPION and silica nanoparticles was ultrasonically irradiated. The collapsed bubbles and shockwave generated from the ultrasonic irradiation produce tremendous force that caused inelastic collision and incorporation of SPION into the silica. Physicochemical analyses using transmission electron microscope (TEM), electronic spectroscopic imaging (ESI), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrated the formation of SPION/silica composite nanoparticles. The prepared composite nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behaviour and nearly 70% of the initial saturation magnetization (Ms) of the SPION was retained. The presence and reactivity of the silica were demonstrated via assembling decanethiol monolayer on the composite nanoparticles. The silanol group of the silica provided the binding site for the alkyl group in the decanethiol molecules. Therefore, the thiol moiety became the terminal and functional group on the magnetic composite nanoparticles.
