Magnetic heating of silica-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles.

Manganese ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using the reverse micelle method; these particles were then coated with silica. The silica-coated nanoparticles were spherical in shape, with an average diameter of 14 nm. The inverse spinel crystalline structure was observed through X-ray diffraction patterns. The coating status of silica on the surface of the nanoparticles was confirmed with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The superparamagnetic properties were revealed by the zero coercive force in the hysteresis curve. Controllable heating at a fixed temperature of 42 °C was achieved by changing either the concentration of nanoparticles in the aqueous solution or the intensity of the alternating magnetic field. We found that at a fixed field strength of 5.5 kA/m, the 2.6 mg/ml sample showed a saturation temperature of 42 °C for magnetic hyperthermia. On the other hand, at a fixed concentration of 3.6 mg/ml, a field intensity of 4.57 kA/m satisfied the required temperature of 42 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]