Biomaterials Research Group, Center for Structural and Functional Materials, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, P.O. Box 44130, Lafayette, LA 70504-4130, USA.
We describe here the chemical synthesis and in vitro drug delivery response of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-functionalized magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles, which were activated with a stable ligand, folic acid, and conjugated with an anticancer drug, doxorubicin. The functionalization and conjugation steps in the chemical synthesis were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The drug-release behavior of PEG-functionalized and folic acid-doxorubicin-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles was characterized by two stages involving an initial rapid release, followed by a controlled release.