Magnetic Hyperthermia with Fe3O4 nanoparticles: the Influence of Particle Size on Energy Absorption

Abstract: We have studied the magnetic and power absorption properties of a series of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of Fe3O4 with average sizes <d> ranging from 3 to 26 nm. Heating experiments as a function of particle size revealed a strong increase in the specific power absorption (SPA) values for particles with <d> = 25-30 nm. On the other side saturation magnetization MS values of these MNPs remain essentially constant for particles with <d> above 10 nm, suggesting that the absorption mechanism is not determined by MS. The largest SPA value obtained was 130 W/g, corresponding to a bimodal particle distribution with average size values of 17 and 26 nm.