Rhodamine-loaded, cross-linked, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium-coated super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Development and in vitro localization study for magnetic drug-targeting applications

Abstract

Abstract A facile, one-pot, room-temperature synthesis method for super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) employing simple reactants was attempted using a battery of stabilizers possessing either hydroxyl (methyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol), or a combination of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups (carboxymethyl cellulose sodium, trisodium citrate, α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate), from carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate sources, added to the reaction mixture in situ. Finally, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC)-coated SPIONs were selected, which were further cross-linked with epichlorohydrin to improve the stability of coating and load a water-soluble model molecule, rhodamine B. The selected formulation with optimum nanometric size (24 ± 8 nm) was characterized for morphology, surface charge, interaction of CMC with iron oxide, crystal phase, magnetization properties and finally microfluidic studies were carried out on the optimized formulation to determine the in vitro SPIONs localization pattern in the presence of an external magnetic field (150 mT) in a simulated glass capillary to demonstrate its targeting potential. A biconvex pattern of aggregation was observed when observed for time, t = 0–100 s with the rate of localization decreasing as a function of time. The study was used to standardize CMC as a standard capping agent for the formulation of SPIONs, which have potential for numerous bio-medical applications, and to load rhodamine B as a water-soluble model molecule.