Surfactant free superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for stable ferrofluids in physiological solutions

A process is reported to obtain a nanoparticle sol from co-precipitated iron oxide particles without using any surfactant. The sol – a true ferrofluid – is not only stable over a wide range of pH but also in physiological solutions. This is a decisive step towards biomedical applications where nanoparticle agglomeration could so far only be prevented by using unwanted surfactants.