Dual-modal imaging of cancer cells is possible with the silica-coated europium-doped gadolinium oxide nanorods due to their magnetic and luminescent properties. In the synthesized nanorods, europium ions serve as`luminescent centers' facilitating optical imaging and gadolinium oxide acts as the contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This article reports the synthesis method of the europium-doped gadolinium oxide (Eu:Gd 2 O 3 Þ nanorods by the co-precipitation method. The prepared nanorods are further coated with silica to improve its biocompatibility. From the x-ray di®raction (XRD) data, the crystallinity was found to decrease due to the amorphous nature of the silica. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show that Eu:Gd 2 O 3 nanorods with a length of $ 600 nm and diameter of $ 40 nm were formed. Silica was coated uniformly with the thickness of $ 15 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) con¯rms the presence of silica in the prepared nanorods. Emission at 611 nm due the presence of Eu 3þ ions was observed. The life time of uncoated and silica-coated nanorods was calculated to be 1.1 ms and 0.9 ms, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized nanorods in MG63 (human osteosarcoma cell line) was assessed by MTT assay. In vitro MRI studies reveal that the prepared nanorods can be used for T 1 contrast enhancement.
The application of nanotechnology with the new electronic materials led to the development of nanorobots. Nanorobots, in the nano scale region are capable of entering the cell for diagnosis, treatment and surgery. Due to its wide range of applications, nanorobots are designed with specific materials and design technologies. Since the biocompatible materials are used in the design of nanorobots, they are chemically inert and the problem of toxicity is avoided. The nano scale size allows the targeted delivery of drugs to the specific site without affected the normal surrounding cells. Nanorobots can move freely in the bloodstream due to the Brownian motion. This review clearly explains the various biomedical applications of the nanorobots.
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