Solution Plasma Synthesis of Polymer-Coated NiFe2O4 Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Application

In this paper, NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by a solution plasma method. The anode material was made from iron and nickel powders by Spark Plasma Sintering process. By discharging on the anode’s surface in the solution, a plasma was formed on the electrode surface, and nanosize particles detached from the electrode and immediately oxidized into a ferrite spinel. The NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were coated with polyethylene glycol, and then the heating generation of specimens under a magnetic field and their cytotoxicity were studied. Before the coating, the nanoparticles have a particle size of less than 12 nm with a specific surface area of 55.2 m2/g and a saturation magnetism of 42.2 emu/g. Coated nanoparticles using polyethylene glycol affect the magnetic properties, thermal properties, and cytotoxicity of nickel ferrite nanoparticles. The formed PEG coating on the surface of NiFe2O4 reduced the saturation magnetization and the produced heat in the hyperthermia process. Cytotoxicity tests have been carried out through MTT and flow cytometry. After coating the nickel ferrite nanoparticles with PEG, the percentage of cell viability increased from 86 to 99%. The results showed that the PEG-coated NiFe2O4 nanoparticles are suitable for medical applications with minimum cytotoxicity.