Preparation and inductive heating property of Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles in an AC magnetic field for localized hyperthermia

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of Fe3+ and Fe2+ with an aqueous NaOH solution. The Fe3O4-chitosan magnetic composite nanoparticles with a core-shell structure with a diameter of 30-50 nm were synthesized by two steps via a suspension cross-linking method. The inductive heating property of Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles in an alternating current (AC) magnetic field was investigated. The potential of Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles was evaluated for localized hyperthermia treatment of cancers. The saturation magnetization, M-s, and coercivity, H-c, were 65.53 emu g(-1) and 0 Oe for Fe3O4 nanoparticles and 24.67 emu g(-1) and 21.69 Oe for Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles, respectively. After exposed in the AC magnetic field for 29 min, the temperatures of physiological saline suspensions containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles or Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles were 97.5 degrees C and 53.7 degrees C, respectively. The Fe3O4-chitosan composite nanoparticles would be good thermoseeds for localized hyperthermia cancer therapy. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.