Synthesis of Titanate Nanotubes Directly Coated with USPIO in Hydrothermal Conditions: A New Detectable Nanocarrier

For the first time, titanate nanotubes (TiONts) coated with USPIO (ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide) without polymer functionalization and directly obtained during TiONts formation is reported. The coating of these tubes was performed directly during the TiONts hydrothermal synthesis. After this treatment, in strongly basic conditions, USPIO particles kept their structure and magnetic properties while their size distribution slightly increased. By coupling zeta-potential measurements and TEM observations at different pH it appeared that interactions between nanotubes and USPIO were not electrostatic. This study presents the new design of a titanate needle-shaped nanocomposite capable of being detected by MRI for future biomedical applications.