Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) made of iron oxides with cubic symmetry (Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3) are demanded objects for multipurpose in biomedical applications as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, magnetically driven carriers for drug delivery, and heaters in hyperthermia cancer treatment. An optimum balance between the right particle size and good magnetic response can be reached by a selection of a synthesis method and by doping with rare earth elements. Here, we present a microwave-assisted polyol synthesis of iron oxide MNPs with actual gadolinium (III) doping from 0.5 to 5.1 mol.%. The resulting MNPs have an average size of 14 nm with narrow size distribution. Their surface was covered by a glycol layer, which prevents aggregation and improves biocompatibility. The magnetic hyperthermia test was performed on 1 and 2 mg/ml aqueous colloidal solutions of MNPs and demonstrated their ability to rise the temperature by 3°C during a 20–30 min run. Therefore, the obtained Gd3+ MNPs are the promising material for biomedicine.
Highlights
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been attracting special attention of researchers in recent years due to their unique properties such as size-dependent magnetic behavior, low toxicity for living organisms, and possession of active surface for the adsorption/immobilization of ligands and other metals [1]. ey have possible applications in catalysis [2, 3], biomedicine [4], water purification from heavy metals [5, 7], magnetic data recording devices [8], and so on
MNPs can be obtained by a variety of wet chemical methods, including a sol-gel method with the use of NaCl and NaH2PO4 to control initial aggregation [9], a hydrothermal synthesis with polyethyleneimine as a capping ligand [10], and a solvothermal synthesis in ethylene glycol (EG) with oleylamine and 1,3diaminopropane as surfactants and sodium acetate as a steric stabilizer [11]
Since gadolinium doping of iron oxides proceeds inefficiently due to a large difference in ionic radii of Gd3+ and Fe3+, the first thing to control after the synthesis was the actual quantity of the dopant in the samples. e values were processed from X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data and presented in Table 1 together with respective initial loading of gadolinium
Summary
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been attracting special attention of researchers in recent years due to their unique properties such as size-dependent magnetic behavior (including large magnetic moment and superparamagnetism), low toxicity for living organisms, and possession of active surface for the adsorption/immobilization of ligands and other metals [1]. ey have possible applications in catalysis [2, 3], biomedicine [4], water purification from heavy metals [5, 7], magnetic data recording devices [8], and so on. Among magnetic materials for nano-biomedicine, magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (c-Fe2O3) are the most widely used. Magnetite is a preferred material for biomedical applications due to a larger magnetic moment and availability of relatively simple synthesis methods. It has been reportedly used in magnetic cell separation [13], magnetocytolysis [14], magnetic hyperthermia [15], tracking of Journal of Spectroscopy biological components [16], targeting and controlled release of drugs [17], and contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [18]
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