  Bismuth Ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles (BFO-NP) display interesting optical
(nonlinear response) and magnetic properties which make them amenable for
bio-oriented applications as intra- and extra membrane contrast agents. Due to
the relatively recent availability of this material in well dispersed
nanometric form, its biocompatibility was not known to date. In this study, we
present a thorough assessment of the effects of in vitro exposure of human
adenocarcinoma (A549), lung squamous carcinoma (NCI-H520), and acute monocytic
leukemia (THP-1) cell lines to uncoated and poly(ethylene glycol)-coated BFO-NP
in the form of cytotoxicity, haemolytic response and biocompatibility. Our
results support the attractiveness of the functional-BFO towards biomedical
applications focused on advanced diagnostic imaging.
