Multifunctional nanomaterials: theranostic nanoparticles and SMM-decorated surfaces

This Thesis reports the preparation of multifunctional materials, dealing with two different topics. The first part concerns the design, synthesis and characterization of multifunctional hybrid magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) that combine superparamagnetic properties with biocompatibility and biological activity. They are designed to load, carry and release N-methylated drugs, exploiting the outstanding molecular recognition properties of tetraphoshonate cavitands towards N-methylammonium salts. In the second generation, new functionalities have been introduced for fluorescence detection and tumor cell targeting. The second part of the work deals with the synthesis of functionalized SMMs for grafting on surfaces. In particular, a peripherally decorated TbIII-bisphthalocyaninato SMM was synthesized and grafted on silicon wafer through the hydrosilylation protocol, leading to the formation of a robust covalently linked monolayer. The resulting Si-integrated SMM monolayer showed for the first time a surface enhancement of the magnetic bistability, rather than the commonly observed suppression of it.