STTR Phase I: Multifunctional Magnetic Core-Shell Nanoparticles

这个小企业技术转移第一阶段项目是制造多功能磁性核壳纳米粒子，以证明合成由磁性纳米粒子核和金或银壳组成的核壳纳米粒子的可行性。这种纳米复合材料将被设计成从金或银壳中显示可控的表面反应性（和生物相容性），以及从磁芯中显示磁分离能力。所提出的方法在多功能纳米材料的发展中具有三方面的广泛影响。首先，金属的纳米工程使得表面面积的急剧增加和其他性能的变化，以获得更好的生物探测和抗菌活性。其次，纳米级金/银壳可以降低生产成本，降低毒性，并具有更好的抗菌特性。第三，磁芯的引入使生物探针和抗菌剂的有效和可控的分离、传递和靶向能力成为可能。这些产品不仅针对与磁珠在磁分离领域相同的商业化市场，而且还针对许多新的生物技术领域。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project is for the manufacture of multifunctional magnetic core-shell nanoparticles to demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing core-shell nanoparticles consisting of magnetic nanoparticle cores and gold and/or silver shells. Such nanocomposite materials will be engineered to display controllable surface reactivity (and biocompatibility) from the gold or silver shells, and magnetic separation capability from the magnetic cores. The broad impact of the proposed approach is three-fold in the development of multifunctional nanomaterials. First, the nanoengineering of the metals enables a drastic increase of the surface area and other changes in properties for better bio-probing and antibacterial activity. Secondly, the nanoscale gold/silver shells lead to reduction of the production costs, toxicity and better antimicrobial characteristics. Thirdly, the introduction of magnetic cores enables the capabilities of effective and controlled separation, delivery and targeting of the bio-probes and antibacterial agents. Such products target not only the same commercialization market as magnetic beads in magnetic separation but also many new areas of biotechnologies.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).