Simplified technique deposits magnetic iron oxide onto gold nanorods

The method for depositing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles was developed by researchers from North Carolina State University and MIT and is described in Chemistry of Materials.

Gold nanorods have numerous potential applications because they can absorb and scatter light.

The wavelength of the absorbed light can be adjusted by controlling the aspect ratio of the nanorods, a characteristic that makes gold nanorods attractive for use in catalysis, security materials and a host of biomedical applications, such as diagnostics, imaging, and cancer therapy.

According to NC State, the fact that the magnetite-gold nanoparticles can also be manipulated using a magnetic field enhances their potential usefulness for biomedical applications, such as diagnostic tools or photothermal therapeutics.

"The approach we outline in our new paper is simple, likely making it faster and less expensive than current techniques for creating these nanoparticles - on a small scale or a large one," said Joe Tracy, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a paper on the work.