ABSTRACT
A holistic approach to the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles is needed when considering how they will be generated for future applications. Scalable syntheses that can produce large scales of controllable nanoparticles are needed, combined with precise control and understanding of the particle's surface chemistry. This is important for all biological applications where stabilization of nanoparticles and biofunctionalization are needed but adds additional synthetic steps and complications to the currently available scalable systems. In this chapter, we detail the framework to experimentally take nanoparticle syntheses in the lab to a scalable manufacturing, not only the synthesis but also surface modification. In particular, we are interested in what surface functionality is needed to make them stable, biocompatible and tailored for clinical applications. As the surface functionality determines how the nanoparticles will behave in the patient's body, it must be specifically controlled and characterized. One of the challenges in controlling surface functionality is the current characterization techniques used to probe the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles. These will be discussed in terms of their advantages and limitations and how they will need to be employed to fully characterize the nanoparticles for clinical applications.
