Induction heating studies of dextran coated MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia

MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with sizes around 20 nm have been prepared by a combustion method and functionalized with dextran for their possible applications in magnetic particle hyperthermia. The induction heating study of these nanoparticles at different magnetic field amplitudes, from 6.7 kA m^-1 to 26.7 kA m^-1, showed self-heating temperature rise up to 50.25 °C and 73.32 °C (at 5 mg mL^-1 and 10 mg mL ^-1 concentrations in water respectively) which was primarily thought to be due to hysteresis losses activated by an AC magnetic field. The dextran coated nanoparticles showed a maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) of about 85.57 W g^-1 at 26.7 kA m^-1 (265 kHz). Dextran coated nanoparticles at concentrations below 1.8 mg mL^-1 exhibit good viability above 86% on mice fibroblast L929 cells. The results suggest that combustion synthesized MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles coated with dextran can be used as potential heating agents in magnetic particle hyperthermia. Uncoated and dextran coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and zeta potential-DLS studies.