One-step synthesis of uniform and biocompatible amine functionalized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: A potential carrier for biomedical applications

For the first time a simple one step method has been developed for the synthesis of uniform, water dispersible, amine functionalized nanoparticles of size about 7 nm. The synthesis process was accomplished by refluxing Fe(acac)₃ and Co(acac)₂ in diethylene glycol and ethanolamine. The synthesized particles show superparamagnetism at room temperature. Amine functionalized nanoparticles exhibit good cell viability, which is above 94% at a concentration of 80 μg mL^-1 in MCF7 and L929 cell lines. The bare and functionalized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Their magnetic properties were also studied by using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) technique. The presence of surface amine groups, good aqueous dispersion stability and excellent biocompatibility make them a suitable candidate for biomedical applications.