Chromenone-conjugated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Toward conveyable DNA binders

• Chromenones were loaded onto modified dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles.
• They reside on the surface of the dextran shell.
• They are accessible by β-cyclodextrin and DNA.
• They are available for binding to the target.

Magnetic nanoparticles can transport drug and possibly target cancer. DNA-binding of ligands loaded in dextran coated magnetic nanoparticles, could aid their better target-specific binding. In this work, we report the loading of chromenones onto aminoethylamino-modified dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles, their loading efficiency, and openness for binding to DNA. The magnetic behavior, the size, and the morphology of the nanoparticles are analyzed. The crystallite size of the magnetic nanoparticles is around 40 nm. The chromenones are present on the surface of the dextran shell, as revealed by their cyclodextrin-binding characteristics, which is a new approach in comprehending the accessibility of the surface-bound molecules by macromolecules. The mode of binding of the chromenones to DNA is not altered on surface loading on dextran shell, although the binding strength is generally diminished, compared to the strength of binding of the free chromenones to DNA.

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