Synthesis of Multifunctional Fe3O4@TESPA/Eu(NTA)3 Luminescent–Magnetic Nanoparticle and Their Properties

Novel multifunctional Fe
₃
O
₄
@3-(triethoxysilyl)-propylamine (TESPA)/Eu(NTA)3 luminescent-magnetic nanoparticles have been successfully prepared using a modified Stober method. The multifunctional nanoparticles are composed of super-paramagnetic Fe
₃
O
₄
nanoparticles coated with a surface functional layer (SFL) of TESPA. The SFL is doped with a strong luminescent europium(III) complex with organic ligands 1-(2-naphthoyl)-3,3,3-trifluoroacetone (NTA) (Eu(NTA)3). The obtained Fe
₃
O
₄
@TESPA/Eu(NTA)3 nanoparticles exhibit a high magnetization and red emission with
⁵
D
₀
→
⁷
Fn (n = 1, 2, 3, and 4) transitions of europium(III) ion. These multifunctional luminescent-magnetic nanoparticles show small size, high stability, and excellent dispersity in aqueous solution that suggests promising applications in imaging diagnostic and cancer therapy.