Tailored Zn<sub>1-x</sub>Mg<sub>0.5</sub>Cu<sub>x</sub>Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub > nanoparticles: Optimizing magnetic hyperthermia for enhanced efficacy and investigating cytotoxicity in normal and cancer cell lines

Abstract

Magnetic hyperthermia has emerged as a highly promising technique for cancer therapy, owing to its noninvasive nature, capacity to penetrate deep into tissues, and low influence on healthy cells. Magnetite nanoparticles stand out among ferrofluids for hyperthermia applications due to their distinct physicochemical and magnetic properties. This study investigates the effect of gradually increasing copper (Cu) content in zinc-magnesium (Zn - Mg) nanoparticles using a comprehensive analysis that includes XRD, TEM, FTIR, XPS, and VSM. The study entails the design and synthesis of superparamagnetic Cu-doped Zn - Mg ferrites via a solvothermal reflux technique. TEM investigation showed well-defined spherical particles with an average size of about 13 nm. At room temperature, all samples exhibit superparamagnetic magnetic activity. The specific absorption rate (SAR) declines with increasing concentration in the dispersion medium, which is mostly due to shorter superparamagnetic relaxation durations. This decrease is caused by magnetic dipole interactions between distributed nanoparticles. MTT assays were used to examine the cytotoxicity of these materials in normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines, as well as their ability to maintain cell survival.