Gas-phase synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles for improved magnetic hyperthermia performance

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia has shown great potential in cancer therapy. However, upscaling of the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticle with the required narrow size distribution remains challenging. This paper describes the reproducible and scalable synthesis of citric acid-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles optimized for hyperthermia treatment. Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by a spray flame method, which is eco-friendly and cost-effective. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting spray-flame synthesis of small iron oxide nanoparticles (approx. 7 nm) with narrow size distribution (polydispersity index ≪ 0.1). The citric acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles revealed a hydrodynamic size of approx. 37 nm and a high magnetic saturation of 69 Am2/kg at room temperature. The magnetic hyperthermia study showed a significantly enhanced value of the intrinsic loss power (4.8 nHm2/kg), which is 1.5-fold higher than the best commercially available equivalents. The improved heating efficiency and small hydrodynamic size of citric acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles demonstrate that the system could potentially be used as a nanoplatform for hyperthermia treatment.