This paper reports a systematic investigation of the growth and attachment of small gold nanoparticles to the functionalized surfaces of larger silica nanoparticles. Dilution of the gold nanoparticles in mixtures of water and ethanol led to the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles in aggregates of regular size and shape attached to the surfaces of the silica nanoparticles. Functionalization of t...

The self-complexation of mono-benzimidazole functionalized β-cyclodextrins was investigated. The unique molecular structure employed as supramolecular nanovalves were installed on the external surface of mesoporous silica to assemble mechanized silica nanoparticles, which showed pH-triggered release property.

Magnetic nanoparticles can be used for numerous in vitro and in vivo applications. However, since uptake by the reticuloendothelial system represents an obstacle for the achievement of nanoparticle diagnostic and therapeutic goals, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the uptake of dimercaptosuccinic acid coated magnetic nanoparticles by reticuloendothelial system phagocytic cells prese...

Silica nanoparticles are versatile materials whose physicochemical surface properties can be precisely adjusted. Because it is possible to combine several functionalities in a single carrier, silica-based materials are excellent candidates for biomedical applications. However, the functionality of the nanoparticles can get lost upon exposure to biological media due to uncontrolled biomolecule a...

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with multifunctional properties have shown great promise in theranostics. The aim of our work was to compare the effects of SPIONs on the fluidity and phase transition of the liposomal membranes prepared with zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine lipids. In order to study if the surface modification of SPIONs has any influence on these membrane pro...

Surface functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are a kind of novel functional materials, which have been widely used in the biotechnology and catalysis. This review focuses on the recent development and various strategies in preparation, structure, and magnetic properties of naked and surface functionalized iron oxide NPs and their corresponding application briefly. In order to ...

A convenient and simple strategy for preparing water soluble, photoluminescent functionalized silica nanoparticles (M-dots) in the absence of fluorophores or metal doping is demonstrated. These M-dots can be used for bioimaging using one and two-photon microscopy. Because of their high photostability, low toxicity and high biocompatibility compared with Lumidot™ CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, functiona...

We sought to develop dual-modality imaging probes using functionalized silica nanoparticles to target human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer cells and achieve efficient target imaging of HER2-expressing tumors. Polyamidoamine-based functionalized silica nanoparticles (PCSNs) for multimodal imaging were synthesized with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (indo...

A novel synthetic route to polymer-coated ferromagnetic colloids of metallic cobalt has been developed. Well-defined end-functional polystyrenes were synthesized using controlled radical polymerization and used as surfactants in the thermolysis of dicobaltoctacarbonyl to afford uniform ferromagnetic nanoparticles. The presence of the polymer shell enabled prolonged colloidal stability of disper...