(119ae) Manganese Ferrite Nanoparticles: a Probe for Hyperthermia-Triggered Drug Release

Manganese ferrite (MnFe₂O₄) nanoparticles show promising potential for thermally-triggered drug delivery platforms due to their high magnetic moment and biocompatibility. In order to design systems that attain and maintain temperatures suitable for hyperthermia therapy, the optimum heating potential of these particles must be investigated. To accomplish this, the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which is the power of heating a magnetic material per gram, of the nanoparticles should be maximized. MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles ranging in size from 7.1 to 12.1 nm were synthesized via a thermal decomposition method. The dependence of heat generation on the amplitude of the applied AC magnetic field was investigated at frequencies of 231 and 266 kHz with fields ranging from 131 to 653 Oersteds. The SAR was calculated to compare the efficiency of heating each sample for the various applied magnetic fields. The results suggested an optimum size around 10.5 nm for effective heat generation using magnetic MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles.