Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic heating, hyperthermia, heavy ion removal, sorbent regeneration, adsorption, desorption, magnetite, manganite, spinel ferrite materials, cancer cells, cancer treatment, nanocomposites, nanotechnology, environmental pollution, water pollution
Magnetic nanoparticles: study of magnetic heating and adsorption/desorption for biomedical and environmental applications
This paper presents a summary of research on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) carried out recently at the Institute of Materials Science. Three families of oxide MNPs namely magnetite, manganite and spinel ferrite materials were prepared by several methods: co-precipitation, sol-gel and high-energy mechanical milling. Magnetite nanoparticles were encapsulated by two natural polymers, starch and chitosan. The structure of the prepared nanosystems was characterised by XRD, SEM, TEM techniques while their magnetisation was measured by VSM and PPMS. The magnetic heating (MH) of both naked and polymer-coated MNPs was studied. We also present two examples of researched applications that can be derived from this effect, namely the use of MH of magnetite NPs coated with starch to kill cancer cells, and the MH-assisted desorption of VOC from SBA/ferrite nanocomposite. Other research application examples include the use of magnetite MNPs to remove heavy toxic metals, such as arsenic, lead and nickel from contaminated water.