Morphology-Dependent Properties of Magnetite Nanoparticles for MRI and Biomedical Use
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21060074Keywords:
Nanoparticles, Theranostics, Iron oxideAbstract
Magnetic nanoparticles have emerged as promising tools in biomedicine due to their unique physicochemical properties and multifunctionality. In this study, the synthesis and characterization of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles with controlled geometries – hexagonal prisms, concave cubes, and nanoplates are presented, with the aim of evaluating the influence of shape on their properties and biomedical potential. The nanoparticles were synthesized via thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed the formation of monodisperse nanostructures with a pure magnetite phase. Magnetic measurements revealed shape-dependent variations in coercivity and magnetization behavior. Cytotoxicity studies using LNCaP and PC-3 cell lines demonstrated low toxicity across all nanoparticle types, confirming their biocompatibility. The performance of the nanoparticles as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents was assessed through T₂ relaxivity measurements, which showed that anisotropic particles, particularly nanoplates, exhibit significantly enhanced contrast efficiency (up to 280 mM⁻¹·s⁻¹) compared to previously reported spherical counterparts (170-208 mM⁻¹·s⁻¹). These findings highlight the critical role of nanoparticle geometry in determining functional properties and demonstrate that shape-engineered magnetite nanoparticles are promising candidates for advanced biomedical applications, including MRI diagnostics and targeted drug delivery.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of NanoScience in Advanced Materials
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-06-13
Published 2026-06-30
