Synthesis, characterization and heating efficiency of Gd-doped maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles for hyperthermia application

In this paper, sol-gel technique was used to prepare Gd-doped gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and their heating efficiency for magnetic hyperthermia application was investigated. The obtained nanoparticles are characterized by several techniques. The structural properties are performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDAX) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), while the morphology is investigated by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic properties and heating ability under an alternating magnetic field are performed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and magnetherm respectively. XRD, XPS and TEM results confirmed the maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) phase, the presence of Gd ions and crystallinity. VSM hysteresis loops showed a negligible coercive field and remanence suggesting superparamagnetic behavior, which was also confirmed by Langevin method. Heating efficiency under an AC alternating magnetic field measurements showed that doped and un-doped samples display high heating ability and reached magnetic hyperthermia (42 degrees C) in relatively short times with shorter time (similar to 2 min) observed for gamma-Fe2O3 compared to 6 min for Gd (5%) doped gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values decreased with increased concentration of Gd but remain considerable for all doped samples (up to 40W/g for Gd (5%)). The high crystallinity, superparamagnetic behavior and good SARs values make these nanoparticles a promising candidate for hyperthermia application.

Automated summary

This study successfully prepared Gd-doped γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles using sol-gel technique and investigated their excellent performance in magnetic hyperthermia applications, showing high heating efficiency and short heating times. The nanoparticles exhibited high crystallinity and superparamagnetic behavior, making them promising candidates for hyperthermia applications.