Physical characterization and heating efficacy of chitosan-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles for hyperthermia application

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles with three distinct grain sizes of 13, 17, and 21 nm were successfully obtained at relatively low temperature via a facile chemical wet method, namely, hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the pure cubic spinel characteristic of the samples. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was performed to analyze the optical band gap energy of the samples; the direct band gap increased with the increase in grain size. The variation in coercivity with particle size was considered to construct the domain state of the nanoparticles. The magnetic heating efficiency was investigated on the basis of a magnetic fluid with various concentrations of well-dispersed chitosan-coated 13 nm CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments revealed the non-cytotoxic nature of chitosan-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. Moreover, the high value of specific loss power suggested that these nanoparticles may be used as magnetic mediators for magnetic hyperthermia applications. •Magnetic fluids based on chitosan-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized.•The experiments that showed CS doesn't effect on structure of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles.•Magnetic interaction between particles strongly influence on heating efficiency.•Magnetic fluids show high specific loss power value and low toxicity.•Stoner–Wohlfarth model is validity to explain the mechanism of induction heating efficacy in CS coated CoFe2O4 NPs•The biocompatibility of CS coated CoFe2O4 NPs was demonstrated with HepG2 and MCF7 cell lines, using a SRB assay.