Evaluation of the role played by a spacer in the functionalization of maghemite (-Fe2O3) nanoparticles with a nitro-dendron

JULIETA I. PAEZ; MELINA ANGELLELLI; PABLO FROIMOWICZ; KATARINA LANDFESTER; VERÓNICA BRUNETTI; MIRIAM C. STRUMIA

San José

Simposio; SLAP 2010. XII SIMPOSIO LATINOAMERICANO DE POLÍMEROS, X CONGRESO IBEROAMERICANO DE POLÍMEROS, I CONGRESO NACIONAL DE POLÍMEROS, I CONGRESO CENTROAMERICANO DE NANOTECNOCIENCIA, I CONGRESO NACIONAL DE NANOTECNOCIENCIA; 2010

LANOTEC. Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología. Costa Rica

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) having appropriate surface chemistry have been employed for many biomedical (1) and non-biomedical applications (i.e. magnetic sensors (2), heavy-metal remediation (3), and catalysis (4)). Some advantages of these MNPs are: good chemical stability, biocompatibility, strong superparamagnetic behavior, and they have hydroxyl groups at their surface that can be conveniently modified to improve desired properties (5,6). It has been proven that nanoparticles can be chemically modified using dendrons (7). We have recently reported the modification of gold and carbon surfaces using a dendron bearing nitro as end-groups (DNO2) (8,9) and the generation of conductive surfaces with electroactive chemical functions by self-assembly. These results encouraged us to link together the reported functionalization strategies and the aforementioned advantages of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3