What are Magnetic Polymer Microspheres?

1. What are magnetic polymer microspheres?

Magnetic polymer microspheres are a new type of magnetic material developed in recent years. They are composite microspheres with certain magnetism and special structures formed by combining magnetic inorganic particles with organic polymers by appropriate methods. As a special biomolecule immobilization carrier, magnetic composite microspheres not only have many characteristics of ordinary polymer microspheres but also have magnetic responsiveness. Therefore, they can not only be endowed with surface functional groups (such as -OH, -COOH, -CHO, -NH2, etc.) through copolymerization and surface modification but also have a guiding function under the action of an external magnetic field.

Compared with traditional microspheres, magnetic polymer microspheres have the following characteristics:

First, magnetic effect: convenient separation and magnetic guidance with superparamagnetic characteristics. When the diameter of the magnetic ferroferric oxide crystal is less than 30 nm, it has superparamagnetism; that is, it has strong magnetism in an external magnetic field, and the magnetism disappears quickly when there is no magnetic field, so the magnetic microspheres are not permanently magnetized in the magnetic field.

Second, biocompatibility: An important aspect of the application of magnetic microspheres in bioengineering, especially biomedical engineering, is biocompatibility. Most biopolymers, such as polysaccharides and proteins, have good biocompatibility. They are safe and non-toxic in the human body, degradable, and do not produce immunogenicity with human tissues and organs. This property is especially important in targeted drugs.

Third, surface effect and volume effect: Surface effect refers to a large specific surface area, an increased number of surface atoms, large surface energy, and the provision of numerous surface active centers, such as strong adsorption capacity, unsaturation, and strong chemical activity. The surface effect is a factor that affects chemical properties. Volume effect refers to a small volume, a small number of atoms, and an increased charged energy level, which causes some physical properties of the substance to become abnormal due to the discontinuity of the energy level, such as great changes in magnetism, thermal resistance, and chemical activity. The above two effects can be specifically reflected in the surge in the specific surface area of ​​the microspheres, the increase in the density of the functional groups of the microspheres and the selective absorption capacity, the shortening of the time to reach adsorption equilibrium, and the greatly improved stability of the particles.

2. Where are magnetic microspheres used?

Because the microspheres are magnetic, they can be quickly separated from the liquid phase under the action of an external magnetic field, greatly simplifying the operation steps. They are widely used in cell separation, protein purification, and nucleic acid separation.

3. What are the raw materials of magnetic microspheres?

The magnetic materials used to prepare magnetic microspheres are mostly metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel, and their oxides. They have good magnetic responsiveness. Among these materials, cobalt and nickel are toxic, so their application is strictly controlled. Iron oxide is the most widely used due to its non-toxic and easy-to-obtain advantages.

Shanghai Lingjun provides efficient and high-quality magnetic microspheres.

Supplier Introduction

Shanghai Lingjun Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was established in 2016 which is a professional manufacturer of biomagnetic materials and nucleic acid extraction reagents.

We have rich experience in nucleic acid extraction and purification, protein purification, cell separation, chemiluminescence and other technical fields.

Our products are widely used in many fields, such as medical testing, genetic testing, university research, genetic breeding, and so on. We not only provide products but also can undertake OEM, ODM, and other needs. If you have related needs, please feel free to contact us at sales01@lingjunbio.com.