Preparation of biotemplated Fe3O4 nanoparticles and evaluation of RF-induced heating efficiency for targeted hyperthermia

Abstract

In this study, we report the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) employing a mild sol–gel synthesis method with Fe-nitrate precursors and egg deutoplasm fluid, a bio-template, as stabilizing agent. The Fe₃O₄ NPs were synthesized with varying concentrations of the stabilizing agent to determine the optimal conditions. The synthesized Fe₃O₄ NPs were comprehensively characterized to evaluate their structural, morphological, optical, and magnetic properties. The characterization techniques used were X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM). Magnetic measurements were also conducted at room temperature to understand the magnetic behaviour, a crucial property for biomedical applications such as hyperthermia and targeted drug delivery. To explore their potential for hyperthermia applications, the Fe₃O₄ NPs were exposed to radio-frequency (RF) for evaluating their heating efficiency. The Fe₃O₄ NPs exhibited significant RF absorption, leading to effective thermal conversion and achieving the target hyperthermic temperature of 42 °C, which is essential for cancer treatment. The ability of the synthesized Fe₃O₄ NPs to generate localized heat in response to RF energy underscores their potential for precise and controlled hyperthermic therapy. This study highlights the importance of optimizing synthesis conditions to tailor the magnetic properties and heating ability of Fe₃O₄ NPs for biomedical applications. The findings demonstrate that bio-templated Fe₃O₄ NPs offer a promising approach for targeted cancer therapy by leveraging RF-induced heating for localized and effective treatment.