Zinc- doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles for ESR, hyperhtermia and thier cytotoxicity in mouse muscle fibroblast (BLO-11) and human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines

Abstract

Spinel structured nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) are used in catalysis, magnetic, and microwave electronic devices. To study the magnetic interplay between half and above-filled d-orbitals in spinel structured transition metal cations: Fe3+ (3d5), Ni2+ (3d8), and Zn2+ (3d10), narrow size distributed, well crystallined zinc substituted NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized by solvothermal reflux method. Structural, morphological, magnetic, magnetic hyperthermia, and cytotoxicity properties of Zn0.15Ni0.85Fe2O4 (code: ZN1), Zn0.35Ni0.65Fe2O4 (code: ZN2), and Zn0.45Ni0.55Fe2O4 (code: ZN3) NPs were systematically studied. Both X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction profiles confirmed that all synthesized samples were crystallined in a cubic spinel structure. Further, the formation of octahedral and tetrahedral ligands in spinel structure is confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectra. In addition, metal cations and oxygen anions oxidation states were determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Quantification of metal cations present in all samples was done by X-ray energy dispersive spectra. Macroscopic magnetic properties of NPs were studied by magnetometer and microscopic magnetic properties were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra. Superparamagnetic hyperthermia (SPMH) properties of NPs were studied by adiabatic hyperthermia curves using an induction heater. Biocompatibility properties of all NPs were studied by cell viability-based cytotoxicity assay on (BLO-11) mouse muscle fibroblast and (MDA-MB-231) human breast cancer cell lines. The above studies revealed that Zn2+ substitution initially enhances saturation mass magnetization (Ms) of NiFe2O4 and then reduces Ms when Zn2+ concentration is> 30 % due to zero octahedral site preference energy of Zn2+ and reduced superexchange strength in octahedral sublattice. This influences magnetic hyperthermia and cytotoxicity properties of NPs and is described here.