Objective: In this study, Ascorbic acid-coated Super-Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (AA-SPIONs) were synthesized, optimized, and further evaluated.
Methods: The nanoparticles were synthesized using the co-precipitation method, optimized by Box-Behnken Design (Design Expert® software). The formulation was then characterized for several in vitro attributes such as particle size distribution, zeta potential, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Vibration Sample Magnetometry (VSM).
Results: An optimized formulation was designed and synthesized. It showed an average size of ~260 nm with 24 mV zeta potential. The small size and electrostatic stability suggested an even distribution of particles in the bloodstream. FTIR revealed the interaction of AA with iron oxide. XRD studies and DSC thermograms ascertained the crystallinity of the iron formulation complying that the particles behaved as a single-domain magnetic crystal. The glass transition temperature of the coated nanoparticles was found to be 135.463ºC. Vibration sample magnetometry displayed the saturation magnetization value to be 2.87 emu g‾1, which indicated the retained super-paramagnetic nature of the nanoparticles.
Conclusion: The results were in concordance with the aim of this research work.