Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A · 2009 · 64 citations · 22 references
Natural SciencesBiotechnologyMaterials ScienceGene DeliveryNanomaterialsNanoparticle Drug DeliveryInorganic NanoparticlesMagnetic NanomaterialsNanocompositesNanomaterials For Drug DeliveryNanomedicineNanoparticle SynthesisIron Oxide NanoparticlesMagnetic NanoparticlesMesoporous MaterialsMesoporous Silica NanomaterialsMesoporous Silica NanoparticlesNanoparticlesTransfection EfficiencyTransfection Reagents
A new type of magnetic nanoparticle was synthesized using mesoporous silica MCM-48 as a template. Magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanocrystals were incorporated onto the MCM-48 silica structure by thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate. The particle size of these Fe(3)O(4)-MCM-48 composite particles is around 300 nm with an iron oxide content of ca. 20% w/w. Measurements from SQUID magnetometry suggest that these nanoparticles possess superparamagnetic properties similar to those of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. By coating positively charged polyethylenimine on to the surface, DNA can be bound onto the Fe(3)O(4)-MCM-48 nanoparticles. Transfection studies showed that these PEI-Fe(3)O(4)-MCM-48 particles were highly effective as a transfection reagent, and a 400% increase of transfection efficiency compared with the commercial products was recorded.
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