Magnetic conjugated polymer nanoparticles as bimodal imaging agents.

Hybrid nanoparticles which incorporate multiple functionalities, such as fluorescence and magnetism, can exhibit enhanced efficiency and versatility by performing several tasks in parallel. In this study, magnetic-fluorescent semiconductor polymer nanospheres (MF-SPNs) have been synthesized by encapsulation of hydrophobic conjugated polymers and iron oxide nanoparticles in phospholipid micelles. Four fluorescent conjugated polymers were used, yielding aqueous dispersions of nanoparticles which emit across the visible spectrum.

Extended one-dimensional self-assemblies of nanoparticles; nano-rouleaux formations.

In this communication, we report the unusually extensive uni-directional self-assembly of nanoparticulate EuF(3) and discuss the origins behind such behaviour.