Any material at the nanoscale is a nanoparticle. Nanoparticles are so small they contain just a few atoms to a few thousand atoms, as opposed to bulk materials that might contain billions of atoms. This difference in size causes nanomaterials to have unique characteristics.

Iron is an element that, in its bulk form, is used in such everyday settings as stair railings and the structural beams in cars or buildings. Iron is also present in water and in the bloodstream, where it helps to transport oxygen.

Iron is one of the materials that can be used to make magnets due to the way electrons orbit each atom. And, as you know, iron rusts when you combine iron and oxygen to form iron oxide. It turns out that nanoparticles of both iron and iron oxide can be quite useful.

Rusty nanoparticles improve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)



For example, in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), you get a better image if paramagnetic nanoparticles are attached to the object you’re taking an image of. For that reason, researchers are functionalizing iron oxide nanoparticles by coating them with molecules that are attracted to cancer tumors to provide a better MRI image.

Making nanoparticles that have a core made of iron oxide nanocrystals surrounded by nanoporous silica can improve not only the MRI images of tumors but also give researchers control over the release of therapeutic drugs.

Clean up ground water with iron nanoparticles





