Bioapplications of Magnetic Nanowires: Barcodes, Biocomposites, Heaters.

Magnetic nanowires (MNWs) can have their moments reversed via several mechanisms that are controlled using the composition, length, diameter, and density of nanowires in arrays as-synthesized or as individual nanoparticles in assays or gels. This tailoring of magnetic reversal leads to unique properties that can be used as a signature for reading out the type of MNW for applications as nano-barcodes. When synthesized inside track-etched polycarbonate membranes, the resulting MNW-embedded membranes can be used as biocompatible bandaids for detection without contact or optical sighting.

Remotely Controlled Micromanipulation by Buckling Instabilities in FeO Nanoparticle Embedded Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Surface Arrays.

The micromanipulation of biological samples is important for microbiology, pharmaceutical science, and related bioengineering fields. In this work, we report the fabrication and characterization of surface-attached microbeam arrays of 20 μm width and 25 μm height made of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), a thermoresponsive polymer, with embedded spherical or octopod FeO nanoparticles. Below 32 °C, the microbeams imbibe water and buckle with an amplitude of approximately 20 μm.