Heat dissipation and magnetic properties of surface-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for biomedical applications

In this study, the influence of surface coating on the magnetic and heat dissipation properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was investigated. Fe3O4 nanoparticles that ranged in size between (particle sizes of 20 and 30 nm) were coated with polyethylenimine (PEI), oleic acid, and Pluronic F-127. Surface coatings that were composed of thick layers of oleic acid and Pluronic F-127 reduced dipole interactions between the particles, and resulted in reduced coercivity and decreased Néel relaxation times. The ac magnetization measurements revealed that the heat dissipation of the PEI-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles was induced by hysteresis loss and Brownian relaxation loss and that of the oleic-acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles was mainly induced by hysteresis loss and Néel relaxation loss.