Iron Carbide Magnetic Nanoparticles and their Potential for Magnetic Hyperthermia

Iron-carbide (FexCy) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been synthesized and investigated as potential candidates for magnetic hyperthermia treatment of cancer. Due to the superparamagnetic properties, these FexCy MNPs can be effectively directed by an external alternating magnetic field, producing localized heating at targeted tumor sites. The MNPs are synthesized through a chemical reduction method, which promotes improved crystallinity and optimized magnetic saturation. Magnetic characterization of the most promising sample performed with magnetometry at 50 K and 300 K demonstrated a high magnetic saturation value of 130 emu/g, along with a nearly closed hysteresis loop indicative of superparamagnetic and soft ferromagnetic behavior. These findings confirm the suitability of FexCy MNPs for magnetic hyperthermia and highlight their strong potential as effective therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.