Magneto-photothermal synergy applied to gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles

In this work, we describe the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with a suitable size for easy cellular internalization, avoiding their rapid renal excretion (less than 5 nm) and accumulation in the liver (more than 100 nm). The nanoparticles are functionalized with a biocompatible polymer (low molecular weight, branched polyethylenimine, PEI), and this treatment allows their functionalization with a shell of gold particles in order to improve their ability to absorb electromagnetic radiation in the visible and near infrared wavelength regions. As a result, the magnetic nanostructures are potential agents of local heating (hyperthermia) by exposing them to alternating magnetic fields (magnetic hyperthermia) or to light of the suitable wavelength (photothermia). Magnetic hyperthermia experiments demonstrate that both types of particles can reach the desired temperature range for cell apoptosis, with the difference of a shorter time needed when gold is absent. The released thermal energy is measured by the SAR (specific absorption rate, in W/g), and the values found are promising, up to 600 W/g in the case of uncoated particles. Regarding the photothermia response under the IR radiation, it is comparable for gold -coated and uncoated magnetic particles, but it is enhanced by a factor of almost 10 when the incident light is visible (blue-green) and the particles are provided with their gold shell. Improvements related to the selection of gold particles with resonant absorbance in the infrared are under investigation.