One-step synthesis of uniform and biocompatible amine functionalized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: a potential carrier for biomedical applications

For the first time a simple one step method has been developed for the synthesis of uniform, water dispersible, amine functionalized nanoparticles of size about 7 nm. The synthesis process was accomplished by refluxing Fe(acac)3 and Co(acac)2 in diethylene glycol and ethanolamine. The synthesized particles show superparamagnetism at room temperature. Amine functionalized nanoparticles exhibit good cell viability, which is above 94% at a concentration of 80 μg mL−1 in MCF7 and L929 cell lines. The bare and functionalized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Their magnetic properties were also studied by using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) technique. The presence of surface amine groups, good aqueous dispersion stability and excellent biocompatibility make them a suitable candidate for biomedical applications.