Sulfhydryl-Modified Fe3O4@SiO2 Core/Shell Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Toxicity Assessment in Vitro

The objectives of this study are to prepare sulfhydryl-modified Fe3O4@SiO2 core/shell magnetic nano-composites, assess their toxicity in vitro, and explore their potential application in the biomedical fields. Fe3O4 nano-particles synthesized by facile solvothermal method were coated with SiO2 via the Stober method and further modified by the meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) to prepare Fe3O4@SiO2@DMSA nanoparticles. The morphology, structure, functional groups, surface charge, and magnetic susceptibility of the nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential analysis, dynamic laser scattering, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Cytotoxicity tests and hemolysis assay were also carried out. Experimental results show that the toxicity of sulfhydryl-modified Fe3O4@SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles in mouse fibroblast (L-929) cell lines is between grade 0 and grade 1, and the material lacks hemolytic activity, indicating good biocompatibility of this Fe3O4@SiO2@DMSA nanocomposite, which is suitable for further application in biochemical fields.