Use of aerosol route to fabricate positively charged Au/Fe(3)O(4) Janus nanoparticles as multifunctional nanoplatforms

Gold (Au)-decorated iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4)), Au/Fe(3)O(4), Janus nanoparticles were fabricated via the continuous route for aerosol Au incorporation with Fe(3)O(4) domains synthesized in an aqueous medium as multifunctional nanoplatforms. The fabricated nanoparticles were subsequently exposed to 185-nm UV light to generate positive charges on Au surfaces, and their activities were tested in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, gene-delivery and photothermal therapy. No additional polymeric coatings of the Janus particles also had a unique ability to suppress inflammatory responses in macrophages challenged with lipopolysaccharide, which may be due to the absence of amine groups.