Design, characterization and magnetic properties of Fe3O4-nanoparticle arrays coated with PEGylated-dendrimers

Stable magnetic magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were synthesized using the chemical co-precipitation method of ferrous (Fe2+)/ferric (Fe3+) mixed aqueous salt solutions in presence of well-defined biocompatible low generation (poly)amidoamine (PAMAM)-based dendrimers with end-grafted n ethylene glycol ether (n = 1, 2, 9) moieties, accessible by means of straightforward consecutive divergent synthesis methodologies including addition and amidation cycles. Addition of NH4OH to the respective dendritic nanoreagent containing iron salt solution produced dendritic stabilized uniform shaped magnetite nanoparticles. The structural and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 NPs were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The coherence of affecting the average magnetite particle diameter in range of 5.6 (±1.4)–10.1 (±1.9) nm by the dendritic scaffold, the number and length of the attached ethylene glycol ether termini, as well as the adjusted stabilizer-to-Fe3O4 ratio is discussed along with their magnetic peculiarities.