Magnetic iron oxide particles are highly advantageous for biological applications (such as drug delivery) due to their magnetic properties coupled with their low toxicity and biocompatibility. We synthesized poly(vinyl alcohol)-ferrite magnetic particles using the co-precipitation method and characterized these particles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Furthermore, we showed that the amount of ferrite encapsulated in the resulting particles is dependent upon the concentrations of: (1) poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer, and (2) iron chloride. The SEM micrographs demonstrated that these magnetic particles have nano-structural features, which have been previously shown to improve cell adhesion and function.
1 We observed that these particles were non-toxic to rat bone marrow stromal cells, i.e., cells adhered and spread-out on the magnetic particles after a 24-hour incubation period. We believe that these synthesized magnetic particles serve as promising platform for applications in targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering.
1. Liu, H.; Webster, T., Enhanced biological and mechanical properties of well-dispersed nanophase ceramics in polymer composites: from 2D to 3D printed structures. Materials Science and Engineering 2010.
