WITH MEGAN MCGOVERN, S. LAHA, AND DR. O. THOMPSON MEFFORD, DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING, AND APPLIED SCIENCES
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) represent an area of nanotechnology that bridges the gap between molecules and larger microscopic structures on the nanometer scale. MNPs also exhibit substantial magnetic moments at room temperature despite their small size. This combination allows for access to small structures within the body, rendering them invaluable in various biomedical applications, including direct drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging. This project collects quantitative data regarding the properties of nanoparticles to qualify the general methods used for determining the characteristics of varying particles and thus their applications. Nanoparticles were created through a thermal decomposition reaction and diluted to various concentration levels to test the detection limits of a newly introduced AC Hysteresis machine. This machine provides valuable data regarding the magnetism of nanoparticles, specifically the hysteresis curve. The results revealed that the machine’s threshold for detection was lower than 1 mg/mL concentration within a sample. Nanoparticles were also diluted to various levels to evaluate a secondary method of calculating the concentration of iron within a sample using a UV Spectrometer. Data was collected on two machines and revealed a consistently accurate reflection of concentration, although further confirmation is necessary by running Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) on the samples. Quantitatively Investigating Nanoparticles at Varying Concentrations: AC Hyster Lower Detection Limits and UV-Vis Iron Concentration Analysis
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