Work

Comparative Influence of Dendron and Dicarboxylate Coatings on the Hyperthermia Performances of Cubic and Spherical Magnetic Nanoparticles

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Surface functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles, commonly used for their biocompatibility in biomedical applications, plays a critical role in optimizing iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for magnetic hyperthermia (MH), a promising modality in cancer therapy. In this study, we provide the first comprehensive comparison of hyperbranched dendron coatings versus linear dicarboxylate ligands on IONPs, revealing their contrasting impacts on heating efficiency under varying magnetic field amplitudes (H). Dendron-coated IONPs outperform dicarboxylate-coated ones at low fields (H < 25 kA/m) due to reduced dipolar interactions and enhanced Brownian relaxation. Conversely, dicarboxylate coatings excel at high fields (H > 25 kA/m) by enabling magnetically aligned chains, which amplify hysteresis losses. Our work also introduces an approach to dynamically modulate the heating efficiency of IONPs by applying a static DC magnetic field (HDC) in conjunction with the alternating magnetic field (AMF). We observed a coating-dependent response to HDC in the parallel configuration (HDC aligned with AMF), the specific absorption rate (SAR) increased by ~620 W/gFe for cubes and ~370 W/gFe for spheres at high AMF amplitudes (H > 30 kA/m) for dicarboxylate-coated IONPs. This enhancement arises from magnetically aligned chains (visualized via Transmission Electron Microscopy), which amplify extrinsic anisotropy and hysteresis losses; in contrast, for dendron-coated IONPs, their SAR values decreased under HDC (up to ~665 W/gFe reduction for cubes in the perpendicular configuration), as the thick dendron shell prevents close interparticle contact, suppressing chain formation and fanning rotation modes. These findings underscore the significance of surface functionalization in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of magnetic nanoparticles.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms26199324

Authors: Cristian Iacovita, Constantin Mihai Lucaciu, Barbara Freis, Céline Kiefer, Sylvie Bégin-Colin

Institutions: Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Santé

Language: English

Topic: Characterization and Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499