In vitro heating with polyethylene glycol coated Fe nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles coated with a biocompatible polymer are potential candidates for biomedical applications associated with the detection and treatment of cancer. By varying the length of a reaction tube, the nanoparticle size increases from 10 to 30 nm with a 1-3 nm carboxyl terminated polyethylene glycol (cPEG) coating. The saturation magnetization for all samples is greater than 100 emu/g. By increasing the length of the reaction tube there is an incorporation of an amorphous phase. Subjecting samples to a 4 Oe magnetic field oscillating at 500 kHz there are two characteristic temperatures depending on particle size. The temperature measured for larger particles saturates with time to 35 degrees C. Below a critical nanoparticle size the temperature reached exceeds 50 degrees C within the same timeframe.