Magnetic heating of silica-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles

• Controllable heating at 42 °C was achieved by changing either the concentration of nanoparticles in the aqueous solution or the intensity of the alternating magnetic field.

Manganese ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using the reverse micelle method; these particles were then coated with silica. The silica-coated nanoparticles were spherical in shape, with an average diameter of 14 nm. The inverse spinel crystalline structure was observed through X-ray diffraction patterns. The coating status of silica on the surface of the nanoparticles was confirmed with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The superparamagnetic properties were revealed by the zero coercive force in the hysteresis curve. Controllable heating at a fixed temperature of 42 °C was achieved by changing either the concentration of nanoparticles in the aqueous solution or the intensity of the alternating magnetic field. We found that at a fixed field strength of 5.5 kA/m, the 2.6 mg/ml sample showed a saturation temperature of 42 °C for magnetic hyperthermia. On the other hand, at a fixed concentration of 3.6 mg/ml, a field intensity of 4.57 kA/m satisfied the required temperature of 42 °C.