Surface Modification of SPIONs in PHBV Microspheres for Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) require surface modification for enhanced stability in polymer matrices.
• Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a hydrophobic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer suitable for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate magnetic polymer microspheres by incorporating surface-modified SPIONs into PHBV.
• To characterize the magnetic PHBV microspheres and assess their potential for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Surface modification of SPIONs with lauric acid and oleic acid.
• Fabrication of magnetic PHBV microspheres using the solid-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) emulsion-solvent extraction/evaporation method.
• Characterization using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and magnetic susceptibility measurements.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated magnetic PHBV microspheres with particle sizes <1 µm.
• Confirmed the presence of lauric acid, oleic acid, and iron oxide functional groups in the microspheres.
• Demonstrated superior incorporation of lauric acid-modified SPIONs (SPIONs^Lauric) compared to oleic acid-modified SPIONs (SPIONs^Oleic) in PHBV.
• Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicated higher magnetic properties for PHBV/SPIONs^Lauric microspheres.
• Non-toxicity of the magnetic PHBV microspheres was confirmed using mouse embryotic fibroblast cells (MEF).

Conclusions:

• The fabricated magnetic PHBV microspheres are stable, possess desirable magnetic properties, and exhibit non-toxicity.
• These magnetic PHBV microspheres are promising candidates for various biomedical applications, including drug delivery and imaging.