Preparation of Fe3O4@pectin nanocomposite hydrogel with high heating efficiency for hyperthermia applications

Abstract

In this paper, magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized magnetic nanoparticles were added to the biocompatible polymer, pectin, for synthesizing Fe3O4@pectin (F@P) nanocomposite hydrogels. The structural, morphological, and magnetic characterizations were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The XRD pattern confirmed the existence of the cubic phase of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra revealed the incorporation of pectin on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The VSM measurement shows the proper magnetization curve of F@P nanocomposites, and good saturation magnetization value (∼33 emu/g). The results of hyperthermia temperature reveal an excellent heating efficiency of F@P nanocomposite hydrogel. The heating efficiency was quantified by a specific absorption rate (SAR) value and was obtained as 214 W/g for F@P nanocomposite hydrogels. This good hyperthermia result with biocompatible polymer (pectin) and hydrogel structure can be used for developing cancer treatment studies.