Structural, magnetic, and antimicrobial properties of zinc doped magnesium ferrite for drug delivery applications

In this study, drug loading and release ability of the ferrite nanoparticle coated with PEG (polyethylene glycol) have been investigated for biomedical applications. The zinc-magnesium ferrite (ZnxMg(1-x)Fe2O4) was synthesized using sol-gel route. The doping concentration of Zn was gradually increased from zero to maximum (x = 1). XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis of the samples shows the single phase with a cubic spinel structure. The Debye-Scherer formula has been used to calculate the average crystallite size (30.51 nm). The dumbbell and spherical shaped morphology (40-50 nm average particle size) have been investigated from the secondary electron images of FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy). The antimicrobial assay has been carried out against E. coli bacteria by gentamicin (drug) loaded ferrite nanoparticles. The significant zone of inhibition might suggest that the drug-loaded ferrite nanoparticles can be used in drug delivery applications. PL (Photoluminescence) of the spinel ferrite shows that all the samples are in the visible range, and peaks at around 430 nm. The result reveals the synthesis of high purity ferrite nanoparticles with significant potential for drug delivery applications.