Magnetic hyperthermia studies on water-soluble polyacrylic acid-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

We report on synthesis and hyperthermia studies in the water-soluble ferrofluid made of polyacrylic acid-coated cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles with different particle sizes. Magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation method and particle size was varied as 6, 10, and 14 nm by varying the precursor to surfactant concentration. PAA surfactant bonding and surfactant thickness were studied by FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis. At room temperature, nanoparticles show superparamagnetism and saturation magnetization was found to vary from 33 to 44 emu/g with increase in the particle size from 6 to 14 nm, and this increase was attributed to the presence of a magnetic inert layer of 4 Å thick. Effect of particle size, concentration, and alternating magnetic field strength at 275 kHz on specific absorption rate were studied by preparing ferrofluids in deionized water at different concentrations. Ferrofluids at a concentration of 1.25 g/L, with 10 min of AMF exposure of strength ~15.7 kA/m show stable temperatures ~48, 58, and 68 °C with increase in the particle sizes 6, 10, and 14 nm. A maximum specific absorption rate of 251 W/g for ferrofluid with a particle size of 10 nm at 1.25 g/L, 15.7 kA/m, and 275 kHz was observed. Viability of L929 fibroblasts is measured by MTT assay cytotoxicity studies using the polyacrylic acid-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles.