Applications of Thermoresponsive Magnetic Nanoparticles

Figure 2

Fabrication of a drug delivery membrane based on nanocomposite materials composed of SPIONs and thermoresponsive hydrogel. (a) TEM micrograph and diffraction pattern of SPIONs synthesized from alkaline hydrolysis of iron salts. (b) TEM micrograph of hydrogel synthesized via copolymerization of NIPAAm, NIPMAAm, and AAm. (c) Photograph of the composite membrane prepared through dissolving SPIONs, ethyl cellulose, and hydrogel in ethanol followed by evaporation to form a thin film. (d) Membrane flux assay was performed by placing membrane film between two glass flow chambers filled with saline. A fluorescent model drug was placed in one of the chambers and upon the temperature or magnetic field stimuli drug molecules were transported into the other chamber across the membrane due to increased permeability of the membrane as a result of shrinking of hydrogel (reprinted with the permission of publisher, American Chemical Society, copyright 2011, from [57]).

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