Fe3O4 Nanoubes as Versatile Theranostic Agents

Abstract: Nanoparticles have attracted an enormous interest during the last decades due to their appealing properties which have led to countless applications in very widespread fields. Interestingly, the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles can be efficiently tuned by designing not only their size but also their shape. For biomedical applications, magnetic iron oxides, either magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), are becoming the preferred material due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and relatively high magnetic moment. However, most of the research performed in maghemite/magnetite nanoparticles has been carried out on isotropic spherical particles. Here we present a rationally designed synthesis pathway based on the thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate to obtain high quality nanocubes over a wide range of sizes [1]. The nanocubes with an edge length below 17 nm show a great colloidal stability, even after transferring them to water. Moreover, the 17 nm nanocubes exhibit an excellent magnetic hyperthermia and NMR relaxivity performance (better than their spherical counterparts), making them excellent candidates for potential applications in nanotheranostics. In addition, the Fe3O4 nanocubes are outstanding heat mediators for photothermia in the near infrared biological windows (680-1350 nm), with heating efficiencies similar to, or better than, the best photothermal agents. In addition, the magnetic and optic anisotropies of the nanocubes have been exploited for a relatively new approach for in situ local temperature sensing.
Keywords: Iron oxides, nanocubes, anisometric nanoparticles, magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic resonance imaging.
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