Investigating the effect of coating and synthesis parameters on La1-xSrxMnO3 based core-shell magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles are an important class of functional materials that have unique magnetic properties due to their reduced size (<100 nm) and have the potential for use in many fields. In the preparation of magnetic nanoparticles, factors such as intrinsic magnetic properties, surface coating, size and shape of the particles, surface charge and stability are very important. In this regard, carefully determining the synthesis parameters of magnetic nanoparticles and particle coating materials is of critical importance in the application area chosen for the material. In this study, La1-xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.27, 0.30, 0.33) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), carbon-coated magnetic nanoparticles in core–shell structure (C@MNP) and their derivatives integrated into graphene oxide (GO-C@MNP) were synthesized and their properties were investigated in detail for their use in possible future application studies. The crystal structure of perovskite compounds with Pbnm symmetry remains unchanged after carbon coating but shrinks in volume due to its amorphous structure. The magnetic behavior of the uncoated and coated materials is almost identical, but the Curie temperature of the compounds shifts to a higher temperature. In the specific absorption ratio (SAR) measurements performed, it was found that the best SAR value for carbon-coated MNPs was 12.9 W/g at x = 0.27. By integrating the MNPs into graphene oxide, heat is easily distributed regionally, and this shows that the structures can be ideal candidates for applications such as hyperthermia, drug carriers, tissue repair, and cellular therapy including cell labeling and targeting. Perovskite-structured manganite materials were selected for their suitability in controlled production, where the Curie temperature can be tuned near the therapeutic temperature by adjusting the doping levels, making them ideal for magnetic hyperthermia applications. In this study, for the first time, the nanoparticle surfaces were coated with carbon, which was chosen not only due to carbon's non-magnetic nature but also because it provides an ideal platform for future combined biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems.