Au–Fe₃O₄ Dumbbell Nanoparticles as Dual‐Functional Probes

Abstract

antibodies; magnetic properties; magnetic resonance imaging; nanoparticles; reflection imaging Synthesis of dumbbell-shaped nanoparticles containing different functionalities has attracted much attention recently.[1] In such a dumbbell structure, one nanoparticle is linked to another, and electronic communication across the junction can drastically change the local electronic structure, leading to an additional dimension of control in catalytic, magnetic, and optical properties.[2] Moreover, the dumbbell structure offers two functional surfaces for the attachment of different kinds of molecules, making such species especially attractive as multifunctional probes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.[3] Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles represent one such multifunctional system. They contain both Au and Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which are known to be biocompatible and have been used extensively for optical and magnetic applications in biomedicine.[4] Compared with conventional single-component Au or Fe3O4