Synthesis and characterization of multifunctional chitosan-coated MnFe2O4 for magnetic hyperthermia

PMSE 181

Dong-Hyun Kim, dhkim0405@gmail.com1, Induvadana Ankareddi, ankar001@bama.ua.edu1, David E. Nikles, dnikles@mint.ua.edu2, and Christopher S. Brazel, cbrazel@eng.ua.edu1. (1) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, (2) Department of Chemistry and Center for Materials for Information Technology, The University of Alabama, Box 870209, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209
In this study, we describe the development of multifunctional materials composed of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles encapsulated in chitosan. These materials are under development as part of a system design that combines magnetically-triggered drug delivery and localized hyperthermia for cancer treatment with efficient MRI contrast characteristics for cancer diagnosis. This paper focuses on the synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles based on manganese ferrite, their dispersion in water and their incorporation in chitosan, which serves as a drug delivery carrier. As synthesized, MnFe2O4 has a hydrophobic surface due to oleic acid and oleylamine surfactants used in the non-polar solvent. The surface of the prepared MnFe2O4 was modified with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) to make the magnetic nanoparticles water-dispersible. The nanoparticles were imbedded into larger chitosan nanospheres, which were crosslinked with various amounts of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). For the development of multifunctional magnetic materials for cancer treatment, the magnetic properties, heat generation and hydrodynamic size of chitosan-coated MnFe2O4 as drug carrier were evaluated for various EDC concentrations and in a range of pH conditions.