Clickable poly(ester amine) dendrimer-grafted Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared via successive Michael addition and alkyne–azide click chemistry

Min Li; Li Qun Xu; Liang Wang; Y. P. Wu; Jun Li; Koon-Gee Neoh; En-Tang Kang

doi:10.1039/C1PY00084E

Clickable poly(ester amine) dendrimer-grafted Fe₃O₄nanoparticles prepared via successive Michael addition and alkyne–azide click chemistry

Min Li,^a Li Qun Xu,^a Liang Wang,^a Y. P. Wu,^b Jun Li,^c Koon-Gee Neoh^a and En-Tang Kang*^a

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
E-mail: cheket@nus.edu.sg
Fax: +65-67791936
Tel: +65-6516-2189

^b Temasek Laboratories, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore

^c Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore

Abstract

Nanospheres, consisting of a Fe₃O₄ core, a silica inner shell and dendritic poly(ester amine) (PEA) outer shell, were synthesized via the sol–gel reaction, and successive Michael addition and alkyne–azide click chemistry. The resultant PEA dendrimer-grafted magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃3O₄4-gg-PEA) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal that the Fe₃3O₄4-gg-PEA magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have a uniform size distribution of about 30 nm in diameter. The hydrodynamic size of Fe₃3O₄4-gg-PEAMNPs changes reversibly with pH of the aqueous medium in the pH range of 3 to 9. The clickable alkyne groups on the surface of Fe₃3O₄4-gg-PEAMNPs endow these nanoparticles with a functionalizable surface viaalkyne–azide click chemistry. Assays with 3T3 fibroblasts and RAW macrophage cells indicate that the Fe₃3O₄4-gg-PEAMNPs possess very low cytotoxicity. Hence, the PEA dendrimer-grafted magnetic nanospheres have potential applications as biomedical materials.

Article information

https://doi.org/10.1039/C1PY00084E

Article type

Paper

Submitted

23 Feb 2011

Accepted

20 Mar 2011

First published

14 Apr 2011

Download Citation

Polym. Chem., 2011,2, 1312-1321

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Clickable poly(ester amine) dendrimer-grafted Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles prepared via successive Michael addition and alkyne–azide click chemistry

M. Li, L. Q. Xu, L. Wang, Y. P. Wu, J. Li, K. Neoh and E. Kang, Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 1312 DOI: 10.1039/C1PY00084E

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