Aim: The agglomeration of nanoparticles plays an important role in the preparation of nanostructured materials, which has implications in their practical applications such as plasma nanosensor and drug release. Materials & methods: Highly stable individual superparamagnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with diameter of 5 nm were first synthesized in water. These particles were then assembled into spherical clusters with diameters of approximately 200 nm using a simple and versatile method. Results: The prepared γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle-based clusters were then used for aminophylline drug loading and release properties investigation. The results show the high drug load rate, release speed and release rate. Conclusion: The present materials and method present great potential in drug-release application.
Keywords: γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles; aminophylline release; autodegradable clusters; drug release; superparamagnetic nanoparticles.