Controlled synthesis of L-cysteine coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles for drug delivery

In the present work, we reported a facile synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles in the presence of L-cysteine (Lys). The morphology and size of samples were characterized by SEM and TEM. The successful coating of Lys on the surface of CoFe2O4 was confirmed by XRD, XPS and TGA. The investigation of magnetic properties showed that both bare CoFe2O4 and Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited room-temperature superparamagnetic behavior. The results of MTT experiments revealed insignificant cytotoxicity of Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles even after 24 h incubation. More importantly, Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles displayed an excellent drug loading capacity and a pH-sensitive drug release behavior. In summary, the prepared Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles demonstrated a promising application potential in controlled drug delivery.