Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs): synthesis and surface modification techniques for use with MRI and other biomedical applications.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) comprise a fundamental technology class within the emerging field of nanomedicine, and have been extensively researched for cancer imaging and therapy. This review article will discuss the chemistry and design considerations associated with the synthesis of SPIONs and their incorporation into pharmaceutical formulations. Specific synthesis methods discussed include coprecipitation, thermal decomposition, microemulsion and solvothermal synthesis, as well as surface treatments and encapsulations to improve the nanoparticle biocompatibility and efficacy.

"Contact" of nanoscale stiff films.

We investigated the contact behaviors of a nanoscopic stiff thin film bonded to a compliant substrate and derived an analytical solution for determining the elastic modulus of thin films. Microscopic contact deformations of the gold and polydopamine thin films (<200 nm) coated on polydimethylsiloxane elastomers were measured by indenting a soft tip and analyzed in the framework of the classical plate theory and Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) contact mechanics. The analysis of this thin film contact mechanics focused on the bending and stretching resistance of thin films and is fundamentally different from conventional indentation measurements where the focus is on the fracture and compression of the films.