Inorganic nanoparticles: from rational design and physicochemical control to biomedical applications

Inorganic nanomaterials, including plasmonic metal and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, offer a versatile platform for biomedical applications because their physicochemical properties can be tuned through control of their size, morphology, composition, and surface chemistry. This tunability enables the development of nanomaterials with tailored optical, magnetic, and interfacial properties and, ultimately, the integration of multiple functionalities within a single nanoparticle.
In this talk, I will present recent work from our group on the design and characterization of gold and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with potential biomedical applications. I will focus on how nanoscale structure and surface chemistry shape nanoparticle functionality, illustrating this through examples ranging from photothermal approaches and imaging to the use of magnetic nanoparticles for nanowarming of cryopreserved media.
Together, these examples illustrate how the rational control of nanoparticle structure and surface chemistry determines their properties and stability in biological media, ultimately influencing their performance in biomedical applications.