Iron Oxide-based Magnetic Nanoparticles Research Articles

Biological activities of iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles

Biological activities of iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles

Iron Oxide-Based Magnetic Nanoparticles: Magnetic Properties and applications in Medicine

As nanopartículas (NPs) à base de óxido de ferro, como magnetita e maguemita, têm grande destaque em diversas áreas da ciência, inclusive na medicina. Há décadas, elas são usadas na reposição de ferro para pacientes com anemia, como agentes de contraste em ressonância magnética (MRI – “Magnetic Resonance Imaging”), na entrega de agentes terapêuticos mediada ou não por gradiente de campo magnético, em terapias térmicas foto e magnetoestimuladas, entre outras. Neste artigo, apresentamos suas propriedades magnéticas. Discutimos de forma breve seu ordenamento ferrimagnético, a importância da anisotropia magnética e sua relação com a histerese magnética (modelo de Stoner-Wohlfarth) e o regime superparamagnético. As diferenças entre superparamagnetismo e paramagnetismo são enfatizadas, além da importância da estabilidade coloidal dessas nanoestruturas para aplicações biomédicas. Finalmente, diversas aplicações biomédicas são discutidas, entre elas hipertermia magnética, terapia fototérmica, imunoterapia e uma nova técnica de imagem com potencial clínico, conhecida como “Magnetic Particle Imaging” (MPI).

Inductive Thermal Effect on Thermoplastic Nanocomposites with Magnetic Nanoparticles for Induced-Healing, Bonding and Debonding On-Demand Applications

In this study, the heating capacity of nanocomposite materials enhanced with magnetic nanoparticles was investigated through induction heating. Thermoplastic (TP) matrices of polypropylene (PP), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyamide (PA12), and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) were compounded with 2.5–10 wt.% iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using a twin-screw extrusion system. Disk-shape specimens were prepared by 3D printing and injection molding. The heating capacity was examined as a function of exposure time, frequency, and power using a radio frequency (RF) generator with a solenoid inductor coil. All nanocomposite materials presented a temperature increase proportional to the MNPs’ concentration as a function of the exposure time in the magnetic field. The nanocomposites with a higher concentration of MNPs presented a rapid increase in temperature, resulting in polymer matrix melting in most of the trials. The operational parameters of the RF generator, such as the input power and the frequency, significantly affect the heating capacity of the specimens, higher input power, and higher frequencies and promote the rapid increase in temperature for all assessed nanocomposites, enabling induced-healing and bonding/debonding on-demand applications.

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (IONPs): Synthesis, Surface Functionalization, and Targeting Drug Delivery Strategies: Mini-Review

Iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (IONPs) have received remarkable attention in a wide range of applications because of their unique physicochemical properties’ inheritance to the nanoscale. Among these nanoparticles (NPs), superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), as powerful noninvasive NPs, are widely used in nanomedicine applications such as targeted drug/ gene delivery, magnetic separation, cancer therapy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hyperthermia because of their superparamagnetic activity and remarkable small size. The synthesis of SPIONs and surface modification of these NPs for biological applications is an interesting research topic. These NPs have high magnetic susceptibility, a single magnetic domain, and a controlled magnetic behavior due to the SPION superparamagnetic feature. This review aims to explore the recently developed synthetic routes of SPIONs and show the best parameters to prepare SPIONs using pulsed laser ablation in liquid “PLAL” for biomedical applications. Furthermore, we highlight the properties, coating, and functionalization of SPIONs and their importance for biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and cancer therapy.

Green Synthesis of Carbon-Encapsulated Magnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Using Hydrothermal Carbonization from Rattan Holocelluloses

How to design a simple and scalable procedure for manufacturing multifunctional carbon-based nanoparticles using lignocellulosic biomass directly is a challenging task. Based on the green chemistry concept, we developed a novel one-pot solution-phase reaction to prepare carbon-encapsulated magnetic nano-Fe3O4 particles (Fe3O4@C) with a tunable structure and composition through the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of Fe2+/Fe3+ loaded rattan holocelluloses pretreated with ionic liquids (EmimAc and AmimCl). The detailed characterization results indicated that the Fe3O4@C synthesized from the holocelluloses pretreated with ionic liquids (ILs) under alkaline conditions tends to have a higher saturation magnetization, probably due to the increased iron ions loading. Moreover, increasing the HTC temperature led to an increased abundance of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the synthesized particles and an elevated saturation magnetization. When EmimAc-treated holocelluloses were used as the carbon precursors, well-encapsulated Fe3O4@C nanoparticles were obtained with a maximum saturation magnetization of 42.6 emu/g. This synthetic strategy, coupled with the structure of the iron carbide-based composite and the proposed mechanism, may open a new avenue for the development of carbon-encapsulated iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles.

Magnetic nanoparticles: From the nanostructure to the physical properties

Some of the synthesis methods and physical properties of iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles such as Fe3-xO4 and CoxFe3-xO4 are reviewed because of their interest in health, environmental applications, and ultra-high density magnetic recording. Unlike high crystalline quality nanoparticles larger than a few nanometers that show bulk-like magnetic and electronic properties, nanostructures with increasing structural defects yield a progressive worsening of their general performance due to frozen magnetic disorder and local breaking of their crystalline symmetry. Thus, it is shown that single-crystal, monophasic nanoparticles do not exhibit significant surface or finite-size effects, such as spin canting, reduced saturation magnetization, high closure magnetic fields, hysteresis loop shift, or dead magnetic layer, features which are mostly associated with crystallographic-defective systems. Besides, the key role of the nanoparticle coating, surface anisotropy, and inter-particle interactions are discussed. Finally, the results of some single particle techniques -magnetic force microscopy, X-ray photoemission electron microscopy, and electron magnetic chiral dichroism- that allow studying individual nanoparticles down to sub-nanometer resolution with element, valence, and magnetic selectivity, are presented. All in all, the intimate, fundamental correlation of the nanostructure (crystalline, chemical, magnetic…) to the physical properties of the nanoparticles is ascertained.

Monodisperse superparamagnetic nanoparticles separation adsorbents for high-yield removal of arsenic and/or mercury metals in aqueous media

The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as adsorbent/separation agents for the removal of heavy metal-based compounds from aqueous environments has received much attention in the last few years. However, in most cases, the designed particles present large dimensions (at least several tens of nm) in order to provide them with high magnetic energy and the capability to be collected with a magnet, thus decreasing their surface-to-volume ratio and displaying a non-superparamagnetic behavior which leads to their irreversible aggregation and avoid their use in repetitive adsorption cycles.Here, we report the preparation of 8.50 nm iron oxide-based MNPs with high specific surface areas where large adsorption of heavy metals can efficiently take place. Through an exhaustive control over the synthetic procedures, we obtained MNPs with high magnetizations despite their reduced dimensions (ca. 80 emu·g−1) and superparamagnetic behavior, enabling their efficient separation with a single magnet whilst avoiding irreversible aggregation. After incubation of MNPs in heavy metal aqueous solutions for 24 h, extremely high adsorption values up to ca. 400 mg of arsenic oxide and 500 mg of mercury oxide per gram of MNPs were measured. The pH of the pollutant solutions has a great influence over the bioremediation capability of the MNPs, being the largest adsorption extents at pH 10.0 and 5.5 for arsenic and mercury oxides, respectively. Moreover, the efficiency of desorption protocols and the subsequent reusability of the MNPs for at least four bioremediation cycles was also evaluated. The adsorption data were modeled following a Langmuir-type behavior, while kinetics experiments demonstrated that pollutant ions are adsorbed onto MNPs surfaces through chemisorption processes.

Synthesis and biological activity of siRNA and Etoposide with magnetic nanoparticles on drug resistance model MCF-7 Cells: Molecular docking study with MRP1 enzyme

Objective(s): In this work, MRP-1 (Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1) gene expression levels and anticancer activity of siRNA and Etoposide loaded Poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was studied on MCF-7/Sensitive and MCF-7/1000Etoposide resistance cells. For this purpose, PHB covered iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (PHB-MNPs) were prepared by coprecipitation. We used magnetic nanoparticles because they include highly targeted to tumors in vivo cancer therapy. Materials and Methods: Etoposide, anti-cancer drug, was loaded onto the PHB-MNPs. The in vitro cytotoxicity analysis of siRNA and Etoposide-loaded PHB-MNPs was applied on cancer cells. The expression levels of MRP1 related to drug resistance were shown using qRT-PCR. In the present study, we also investigated whether nanoparticle system could be a potential anticancer drug target with molecular docking analyses.Results: The IC50 values of Etoposide on MCF-7/sensitive and MCF-7/1000Eto resistance cells were identified as 50,6 μM and 135,7 μM, respectively. IC50 values of siRNA and Etoposide loaded PHB coated magnetic nanoparticles were determined as 10,18 μM and 39,21 μM on MCF-7 and MCF-7/1000 Eto cells, respectively. According to the gene expression results, MRP1 expression was 4 fold upregulated in MCF-7/1000Eto cells. However, it was about 3 fold downregulated due to the application of siRNA-Etoposide loaded magnetic nanoparticles. Conclusion: According to the docking results, nanoparticle system may be a drug active substance with obtained results. The results of this study demonstrated that siRNA and Etoposide loaded PHB covered iron oxide based magnetic nanoparticles can be a potential targeted therapeutic agent to overcome drug resistance.

Cardiovascular applications of magnetic particles

The global burden of atherothrombotic diseases continues to grow. Worldwide, 17.9 million deaths per year are caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVD). According to WHO estimates, this number is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. To achieve a more effective primary prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies is required. Nanomedicine offers a unique platform for novel approaches to the diagnosis and therapy of CVD. In particular iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles, a class of nanosized agents with superparamagnetic properties, are considered a promising tool in management of cardiovascular patients. Their possible applications range from plaque imaging and thrombus detection to the targeted drug-delivery, stent endothelialisation and blood vessel regeneration. This paper summarizes recent advances in the implementation of magnetic nanoparticles to diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders.

Surface Modification of Iron Oxide-Based Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cerebral Theranostics: Application and Prospection.

Combining diagnosis with therapy, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (INOPs) act as an important vehicle for drug delivery. However, poor biocompatibility of INOPs limits their application. To improve the shortcomings, various surface modifications have been developed, including small molecules coatings, polymers coatings, lipid coatings and lipopolymer coatings. These surface modifications facilitate iron nanoparticles to cross the blood-brain-barrier, which is essential for diagnosis and treatments of brain diseases. Here we focus on the characteristics of different coated INOPs and their application in brain disease, particularly gliomas, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Moreover, we summarize the current progress and expect to provide help for future researches.

Quantification of Synergistic Effects of Ceragenin CSA-131 Combined with Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles Against Cancer Cells.

BackgroundTherapeutic efficiency of ceragenins against cancers may be limited by lack of their hemocompatibility when high concentrations of molecules are required to reach a desired result. Synergistic effects observed upon administration of anticancer agents and metal nanoparticles may provide an opportunity to limit toxicity of immobilized ceragenins on the surface of metal nanoparticles and to improve their therapeutic efficiency at the same time. The aim of present work is to investigate the anticancer activities and hemocompatibility of nanoformulations consisting of ceragenin CSA-131 united with aminosilane-modified iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and prepared by 1) covalent bonding (MNP@CSA-131) or 2) by combining CSA-131 with MNP in 1:1 ratio (CSA-131 + MNP). Possible synergistic interactions between CSA-131 and magnetic nanoparticles were also quantified.MethodsMNP@CSA-131 and CSA-131+MNP were tested in vitro against selected lung and colon cancer cells using colorimetric, fluorimetric and flow cytometry methods.ResultsPerformed analysis demonstrates that MNP-based nanosystems significantly improve the killing efficiency of tested ceragenin, decreasing the viability of extra 1.37±4.72% to 76.07±15.30% cancer cells when compared to free CSA-131. Quantification of synergistic effects indicates the favorable interactions between CSA-131 and magnetic nanoparticles (CI < 1 for all tested doses), revealing at the same time a reduction in effective doses of ceragenin from 1.17 ± 0.61 to 34.57 ± 12.78 times when combined with MNP. We demonstrate that both MNP@CSA-131 and CSA-131+MNP induce significantly apoptosis of cancer cells and prevent the division of colon cancer cells even at relatively low doses of the active compound (10 µg/mL). Importantly, combining CSA-131 with MNP decreases the hemolytic activity of free ceragenin 4.72 to 7.88 times, which indicates a considerable improvement of hemotoxicity profile.ConclusionComparative analyses have revealed that both developed CSA-containing nanoformulations due to the utility of synergistic interactions between MNP and CSA-131, which are effective against lung and colon cancer cells. This indicates the new directions in preparation of MNP-based therapeutics, which are relatively easy to synthetize, cost-effective and safe when intravenously administrated.

Shape Anisotropic Iron Oxide-Based Magnetic Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Biomedical Applications.

Research on iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles and their clinical use has been, so far, mainly focused on the spherical shape. However, efforts have been made to develop synthetic routes that produce different anisotropic shapes not only in magnetite nanoparticles, but also in other ferrites, as their magnetic behavior and biological activity can be improved by controlling the shape. Ferrite nanoparticles show several properties that arise from finite-size and surface effects, like high magnetization and superparamagnetism, which make them interesting for use in nanomedicine. Herein, we show recent developments on the synthesis of anisotropic ferrite nanoparticles and the importance of shape-dependent properties for biomedical applications, such as magnetic drug delivery, magnetic hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging. A brief discussion on toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles is also included.

Ecofriendly-developed Polyacrylic Acid-coated Magnetic Nanoparticles as Catalysts in Photo-fenton Processes

In this work, iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) stabilized by polyacrylic acid (PAA) polymer were prepared and characterized as a continuation of a previous research already reported. MNPs composed by pure magnetite cores having good magnetic properties were developed, thus achieving an improvement in the modified coprecipitation method used. The photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles towards acid orange 7 (AO7), under both radiation types, UV-Vis and LED-Vis, was tested. Pollutant degradation percentages of 64 and 37 % were obtained by using UV-Vis and LED-Vis radiation, respectively.

Applications of Iron Oxide-Based Magnetic Nanoparticles in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Bacterial Infections.

Diseases caused by bacterial infections, especially drug-resistant bacteria have seriously threatened human health throughout the world. It has been predicted that antimicrobial resistance alone will cause 10 million deaths per year and that early diagnosis and therapy will efficiently decrease the mortality rate caused by bacterial infections. Considering this severity, it is urgent to develop effective methods for the early detection, prevention and treatment of these infections. Until now, numerous efforts based on nanoparticles have been made to detect and kill pathogenic bacteria. Iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), as potential platforms for bacteria detection and therapy, have drawn great attention owing to their magnetic property. These MNPs have also been broadly used as bioimaging contrast agents and drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia agents to diagnose and treat bacterial infections. This review therefore overviews the recent progress on MNPs for bacterial detection and therapy, including bacterial separation and enrichment in vitro, bacterial infection imaging in vivo, and their therapeutic activities on pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, some bacterial-specific targeting agents, used to selectively target the pathogenic bacteria, are also introduced. In addition, the challenges and future perspective of MNPs for bacterial diagnosis and therapy are given at the end of this review. It is expected that this review will provide a better understanding toward the applications of MNPs in the detection and therapy of bacterial infections.

Inhibition of inflammatory response in human keratinocytes by magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with PBP10 peptide derived from the PIP2-binding site of human plasma gelsolin

BackgroundHuman plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is a multifunctional actin-binding protein involved in a variety of biological processes, including neutralization of pro-inflammatory molecules such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and modulation of host inflammatory response. It was found that PBP10, a synthetic rhodamine B-conjugated peptide, based on the phosphoinositide-binding site of pGSN, exerts bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, interacts specifically with LPS and LTA, and limits microbial-induced inflammatory effects. The therapeutic efficiency of PBP10 when immobilized on the surface of iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles was not evaluated, to date.ResultsUsing the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT stimulated by bacterially-derived LPS and LTA as an in vitro model of bacterial infection, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of nanosystems consisting of iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles with aminosilane (MNP@NH2) or gold shells (MNP@Au) functionalized by a set of peptides, derived from the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-binding site of the human plasma protein gelsolin, which also binds LPS and LTA. Our results indicate that these nanosystems can kill both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and limit the production of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the response to heat-killed microbes or extracted bacterial cell wall components. The nanoparticles possess the potential to improve therapeutic efficacy and are characterized by lower toxicity and improved hemocompatibility when compared to free peptides. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that these PBP10-based nanosystems prevented changes in nanomechanical properties of cells that were otherwise stimulated by LPS.ConclusionsNeutralization of endotoxemia-mediated cellular effects by gelsolin-derived peptides and PBP10-containing nanosystems might be considered as potent therapeutic agents in the improved therapy of bacterial infections and microbial-induced inflammation.

Cold atmospheric plasma and iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles for synergetic lung cancer therapy

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is an emerging biomedical technique that shows great potential for cancer treatment. On the other hand, magnetic nanoparticles open up a wide field of possible applications in medicine. Here we seek to develop a novel dual cancer therapeutic method by integrating promising CAP and iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and evaluate its underlying mechanism for targeted lung cancer treatment. For this purpose, the synergistic effects of CAP and iron oxide-based MNPs on cellular bioactivity, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression, and EGFR downstream signaling pathways were investigated. Results showed that the effectiveness of CAP and iron oxide-based MNPs for synergistic strongly killed activity against lung cancer cells, and significantly inhibited cell proliferation via reduction of viability and induction of apoptosis. Importantly, CAP combining with iron oxide-based MNPs induced EGFR downregulation while CAP inhibited lung cancer cells via depressing pERK and pAKT. Translation of these findings to an in vivo setting demonstrates that CAP combining iron oxide-based MNPs is effective at preventing xenograft tumors. Thus, the integration of CAP and iron oxide-based MNPs provides a promising tool for the development of a new cancer treatment strategy.

Bioconjugation and Fluorescence Labeling of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Grafted with Bromomaleimide-Terminal Polymers.

Iron oxide nanoparticles have been widely applied in biomedical applications for their unique physical properties. Despite the relatively mature synthetic approaches for iron oxide nanoparticles, surface modification strategies for obtaining particles with satisfactory biofunctionality are still urgently needed to meet the challenge of nanomedicine. Herein, we report a surface modification and biofunctionalization strategy for iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles based on a dibromomaleimide (DBM)-terminated polymer with brushed polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains. PEG acrylate and phosphonate monomers, serving as antibiofouling and surface anchoring compartments for iron oxide nanoparticles, were incorporated utilizing a novel DBM containing reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent. The particles prepared through this new surface architecture possessed high colloidal stability in a physiological buffer and the capacity of covalent conjugation with biomolecules for targeting. Cell tracking of the molecular probes was achieved concomitantly by exploiting DBM conjugation-induced fluorescence of the nanoparticles.

Polyacrylic acid-coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles: The polymer molecular weight influence

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), in particular, magnetic iron oxide-based nanoparticles were found to be useful as catalysts and as devices for data storage, environmental remediation and several biomedical applications, due to their excellent properties, such as biocompatibility and high magnetic moment. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a weak polyelectrolyte that can be used to stabilize the MNPs. To the best of our knowledge, the influence of PAA molecular weight and PAA concentration over the magnetic and structural properties of iron oxide nanoparticles has not been previously reported. The aim of this paper is to describe the differences evidenced in the properties of different magnetic materials by using PAA for iron oxides stabilization by one-pot coprecipitation synthesis. Iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles stabilized by polyacrylic acid (PAA) polymers were efficiently prepared and exhaustively characterized. The influence on the employment of two different low PAA molecular weights, Mw 1800 g/mol and 5000 g/mol, in three different iron salts: PAA ratios was analyzed. In summary, the main results showed that: for a certain PAA reactor feed higher oligomer quantities are present in MNPs as higher is the involved molecular weight of the polymeric chain; when molecular weight raises the contribution of loops and tails also does it, allowing having higher polymer contents. For both PAA’s Mw employed as the adsorbed PAA increases particles hydrodynamic diameters decreases, and their distribution becomes narrower; the PAA adsorbs onto iron oxides by chemisorption (the most probable interaction is the bidentate bridging). For the studied cases z potential values depend much more on the PAA’s quantity adsorbed onto the iron oxides than on the PAA’s Mw. MNPs are superparamagnetic and choosing the right shape of particle distribution is not central for getting estimates of the magnetization saturation, the average particle diameter and its standard deviation, while better fits are found with Normal and Log-Normal particle size distributions.

Hydrophilic iron oxide nanoparticles probe the organization of biomimetic layers: electrochemical and spectroscopic evidence

Biomimetic films of mixed lipids were challenged with 15nm hydrophilic, superparamagnetic, iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs). These nanoparticles were stabilized with citrate and were allowed to interact with lipidic Langmuir films spread on an aqueous subphase or with Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir Schaeffer (LB/LS) bilayers transferred onto solid supports. The goal of this work is to evaluate the nature of SPIONs-cellular membrane interactions, and to attempt to separate the physicochemical aspects of such interactions from the biological ones. The ultimate utility of SPIONs lies in their potential for medical applications, such as targeted drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging or theranostics in general. Systematic experimental studies were carried out with complementary techniques, such as LB and LB/LS film deposition, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) imaging of the films, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy SE(R)RS and fluorescence lifetime and anisotropy decay imaging (FLIM and FADI) techniques. The data presented here indicate that SPIONs have a measurable effect on the phase behavior of mixed monolayers, altering the organization of monolayer and bilayer films, and inducing changes in the formation of domains.

Developing novel strategies for the functionalization of core–shell magnetic nanoparticles with folic acid derivatives

In this work, we explore the development of new synthetic strategies leading to the formation of folic acid di-ester functionalized iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles. For this, initially, folic acid di-ester was converted into an acrylamide monomer through amidation of the primary amine site. Interestingly, esterification with a different acid chloride molecule carrying a long alkyl chain terminated with an azide group resulted into amidation of the secondary amine site. In a different set of experiments, magnetite nanoparticles decorated with a polymerization initiator, an acrylamide monomer, or a terminal alkyne group, were prepared. These folic acid and magnetic nanoparticles building blocks could then be combined in different ways to give rise to the targeted materials. In the first scheme, folic acid-based monomer could be polymerized through the initiating sites located at the surface of the magnetic nanoparticles. Alternatively, a random copolymerization between the folic acid-based monomer was carried out with the monomeric sites stabilizing the nanoparticles. Finally, the alkyne functionalities of the nanoparticles were coupled with the azide moieties of the folic acid derivatives. Thus, three different synthetic strategies were established for the formation of folic acid di-ester functionalized core–shell magnetic nanoparticles.