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cells RAW264.7 (Peng et al. 2012).

      Li et al. investigated the role of cationic electrolytes in the assembly of poly(acrylic acid)‐coated magnetic nanoparticles. Interestingly, the interaction between these building blocks, that is fast and wild, was simply controlled by tuning the ionic strength of the polymers. In this case, the NPs suspension and the polymer solution were mixed, and the assembly was monitored over time: in a first step (40 minutes) the magnetic particles were clustered in dense and regular assemblies of 250 nm. Afterward, the preformed clusters started to overassembly in noncontrolled structures, that the authors defined as coral‐like aggregates, with micrometer‐range size. By repeating the entire experiment in the presence of an external magnetic field, well‐defined and regular 2 μm, cylindrical bundles were obtained. These large aggregates also occurred in this configuration as a second overassembly, since during the first 40 minutes seeding step spherical magnetic cluster were formed (Li et al. 2017).

      The preparation of hybrid nanoparticles, composed of a donor–acceptor‐type conjugated polymer (PCPDTBT), hydrophobic magnetite nanoparticles and a phospholipid, was recently described. The nanoparticles were obtained first drying an organic suspension of the three main components, followed by hydration of the obtained film. The resulting particles, with a nonregular shape and a size between 100 and 150 nm, were further functionalized and stabilized with PEG molecules via NHS chemistry. The hybrid composite showed a 22‐fold photoacoustic intensity increase in the optical window (NIR‐I) as well as a shortening of T2 relaxation time, with a r2 relaxivity of 309.3 mM−1 s−1 at 7 T for the best nanocomposite (Pham et al. 2019).

      3.3.4 Polysaccharides Coatings

      Another class of molecules extensively used for the coating of magnetic nanocluster is represented by polysaccharides. These molecules are highly biocompatible and, in a certain case, of natural derivation. It is noteworthy that the first FDA‐approved formulations based on magnetic nanoparticles were obtained by assisted nucleation of magnetite, or maghemite, in the presence of dextran‐derivative (e.g. ferucarbotran and ferumoxide).

      Kim et al. set a method for the preparation of nanoclusters based on the self‐assembly of magnetic nanoparticles in a modified‐dextran. First, the polysaccharide was modified with the introduction of different oleic acid amount; after that, the NPs, dispersed in the organic phase, was mixed with modified‐dextran and a nanoemulsion was inducted by ultrasonication step. After solvent evaporation, the clusters were resuspended in water. The substitution grade of dextran and the polymer amount used during clustering were selected as main parameters to govern the overall size of the nano‐object (below 100 nm) and the T2 relaxivities response. Moreover, the dextran‐modified surface properties exhibited sufficient affinity to macrophages, and therefore, the nanocluster was tested for the diagnosis, by MRI, of atherosclerotic plaques in vitro and in vivo (Kim et al. 2014).

      Park et al. reported the preparation of regular nanoclusters, based on the aggregation of hydrophobic nanoparticles in natural amphiphilic levan polysaccharides. Via an ultrasonication treatment, the nanoparticles were clustered in the polymeric matrix and therefore transferred in the aqueous phase. The size and the shape of the obtained cluster were heavily affected by the nanoparticle concentration: the cluster size increased with nanoparticles amount up to a critical threshold that avoids the formation of three‐dimensional super‐structures, favoring the bidimensional assembly. The authors demonstrated the universal method for assembly of magnetic, gold NPs, and Quantum Dots, as an individual cluster or as hybrid multifunctional systems. Concerning magnetic nanoparticles, the assembly in clusters of 200–300 nm resulted in a transverse relaxivity increase of 45% (from 65 to 95 mM−1 s−1) at 4.7 T (Park et al. 2020).

      3.3.5 Lipidic Coatings

      Liposomes represent one of the most investigated platforms for drug administration. These lipidic vesicles are stable, biocompatible, and their preparation is very well‐established. In this section, some examples of nanoparticle clustering obtained by the use of different lipids are described.

      Martina et al. proposed one of the first examples of the inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles in lipidic vesicles. Aqueous maghemite NPs obtained by coprecipitation (and stabilized with a citrate capping) were mixed with egg‐yolk L‐α‐phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and 1,2‐diacyl‐SN‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine‐N‐[methoxy(poly(ethylene glycol))‐2000] (DSPE‐PEG2000), and unilamellar magnetic liposomes were prepared by thin‐film hydration method coupled with sequential extrusion. By this method, 200 nm liposomes were obtained, sterically stabilized by PEG chains and containing superparamagnetic maghemite particles whose concentration can be varied. Magnetophoresis confirmed the superparamagnetic profile and the effect of particles confinement into the vesicle core (Martina et al. 2005).

      Amstad et al. suggested a different architecture for magnetic lipidic vesicle. In their work, the authors investigated the effects of iron oxide capping agents on the localization of NPs in the liposome. By using the traditional oleic acid‐capped NPs, an evident agglomeration of nanoparticles was obtained, and a micelle profile was preferred. By functionalizing the magnetic

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