Superparamagnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoscaled magnetic materials are great candidates for fundamental and applied research. 0D, 1D and 2D magnetic nanostructures have been extensively studied previously. One of the unique phenomena that only exists in nanoscaled magnetic structure (below a certain critical size) is superparamagnetism. In this chapter, various chemical synthesis methods to obtain superparamagnetic nanoparticles are compared. Strategies to prevent agglomeration of nanoparticles and the influent factors for nanoparticle synthesis are discussed. Three examples in biomedical application are introduced and a concluding remark for future synthesis approaches is highlighted. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.