7 - Surface functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles: potentials for biomedical applications

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are widely used for myriad in vivo and in vitro biomedical applications via targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy, hyperthermia, photocatalysis, contrast enhancement magnetic resonance, antibacterial activity, etc. These applications are owing to their large surface area to the volume ratio. MNPs have become indispensable for in vivo therapeutic purposes, due to their easy binding with biomolecules such as proteins, enzymes, antibodies or nucleotides. All the in vivo biomedical applications require that the MNPs exhibit good saturation magnetization, particle size, morphology, and surface functionalization that is biocompatible and biodegradable. The various sizes of MNPs can be control through the synthesis procedures and the materials used for the surface functionalization which enables their comparison to biological organisms from cells, genes, proteins, and virus. In conclusion, the recent advances and future functionalization perspective in the development of MNPs for different biomedical applications will be summarized in this chapter.