Magnetic study of iron-containing carbon nanotubes: Feasibility for magnetic hyperthermia

We present a detailed magnetic study of iron containing carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNT), which highlights their potential for contactless magnetic heating in hyperthermia cancer treatment. Magnetic field dependent AC inductive heating experiments on Fe-CNT dispersions show a substantial temperature increase of Fe-CNT dispersions in applied AC magnetic fields. DC and AC magnetization studies have been done in order to elucidate the heating mechanism. We observe a different magnetic response of Fe-CNT powder compared to Fe-CNT dispersed in aqueous solution, e.g., ferromagnetic Fe-CNT in powder do not show any hysteresis when being dispersed in liquid. Our data indicate the motion of Fe-CNT in liquid in applied magnetic fields.