Magnetic Nanoparticles in Medicine: A Review of Synthesis Methods and Important Characteristics

Recent technological advances in the synthesis and design of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have opened various avenues for these materials in medical applications. These technology-facilitated features as well as intrinsic features make MNPs as an ideal choice in different medical diagnostic and treatment applications. Some of important attributes of MNPs that make MNPs great choice for medical applications are non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and high-level aggregation in the desired tissue. In addition, these features make MNPs an interesting candidate for drug delivery systems, magnetically assisted transfection of cells and magnetic hyperthermia, and contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. These nanoparticles can be synthesized by various methods which can determine their main physical and chemical characteristics. This paper reviews the most common methods for synthesis of MNPs as well as the important features that can be modulated during the synthesis.