Influence of the Synthesis Route on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 Nanoparticles

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, significantly impacting public health, with current treatment options that often have side effects on patients. In this context, magnetic hyperthermia emerges as a non-invasive alternative that utilizes magnetic nanoparticles to generate heat and destroy cancer cells. In this vein, this research sought to synthesize magnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) nanoparticles in order to study the effect of the synthesis route on the production of nanoparticles with optimal properties for biomedical applications. LSMO samples were synthesized via the sol-gel, ceramic, and Pechini methods. These samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) in order to study their structure, morphology, and magnetic behavior. The nanoparticles obtained via the Pechini method exhibited the best crystalline structure, the smallest size, and reduced magnetic properties. This work allowed identifying the ceramic method as the synthesis route that produces nanoparticles suitable for biomedical applications, as demonstrated through the numerical calculation of the specific absorption rate (SAR). The results indicated that the SAR of nanoparticles synthesized using this method is 30 times greater than that of samples synthesized using the other two methods under equal field amplitude and frequency conditions.