Modulating the magnetic properties of Fe3C/C encapsulated core/shell nanoparticles for potential prospects in biomedicine

In the pursuit of alternative and less invasive medical treatments, magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significant relevance. Iron carbides NPs stand out for their higher saturation magnetizations compared to iron oxides, while maintaining a suitable biocompatibility. In this work, high control is achieved over the composition and morphology of Fe3C/C encapsulated core/shell nanoparticles through fine-tuning of the sol-gel synthesis parameters. Specifically, the impact of decreasing each surfactant concentration added, n(t), the same both for oleylamine (ON) and oleic acid (OA), has been explored. A minimum value for such parameter denoted by n(t,min.) was required to produce pure Fe3C@C NP-composites. For n(t) < 4 mmol, some minor alpha-Fe impurities arise, and the effective carburization becomes unstable due to insufficient carbon. The magnetic properties of the materials prepared were optimized by reducing the excess carbon from surfactants, resulting in saturation magnetization values of 86 emu/g. (for pure Fe3C at n(t) = 5 mmol) and 102 emu/g (for Fe3C and <2 % w.t. of alpha-Fe impurity at n(t) = 4 mmol). In view of this, several cytotoxicity studies for different Fe3C@C samples were conducted, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility in cell-based assays, which could lead to potential application at the forefront of biomedical fields.