Multifunctional Fluorescent Magnetic Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Targeted Cell Imaging Applications

Multifunctional fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-PLLA-RhB/FA) with cell recognition ability were synthesized through conjugation of magnetic nanoparticles with folic acid (FA) and Rhodamine B. To verify their potential biomedical applications, biocompatibility as well as cell imaging applications of the multifunctional nanoparticles were further investigated. Results showed that these fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles are well biocompatible with NIH-3T3 cells and HeLa cells. More importantly, these nanoparticles could be selectively taken up by HeLa cells (FA receptor positive) as evidenced by laser scanning confocal microscopy, suggesting their potential for biological imaging applications. Given their excellent biocompatibility and multifunctional characteristics, we expect that the fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles could be promising for various biomedical applications.