Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4:Yb3+:Er3+ nanoparticles with magnetic and optical properties for hyperthermia applications

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials 2018-11, Vol.465, p.406-411
• Main Authors: de Jesús Ibarra–Sánchez, José, López–Luke, Tzarara, Ramírez–García, Gonzalo, Sidhik, Siraj, Córdova–Fraga, Teodoro, de Jesús Bernal–Alvarado, José, Cano, M.E., Torres–Castro, Alejandro, de la Rosa, Elder
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Erbium; Hyperthermia; Magnetic nanoparticles; Thermal decomposition; Upconversion nanoparticles; Ytterbium
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2018.05.091

•Co–doped Fe3O4 NPs presented an upconversion emission in the green and red region.•Fe3O4 and co–doped Fe3O4 NPs have magnetic response for an magnetic field.•Fe3O4 and Yb3+ and Er3+co–doped Fe3O4 NPs have superparamagnetic behavior.•Co–doped Fe3O4 NPs can be used in imaging and hyperthermia therapy. The synthesis and characterization of ytterbium (Yb3+) and erbium (Er3+) co–doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) was reported for the first time in this work. A set of samples with fixed Er3+ (1 mol%) and different Yb3+concentrations (1, 10, 20 and 50 mol%) were prepared and systematically characterized to study their structural, magnetic, thermal and optical properties. The superparamagnetic behavior of Fe3O4 and Yb3+ and Er3+co–doped Fe3O4 NPs was verified by the hysteresis loop. The co–doped Fe3O4 NPs also presented an upconversion emission in the green and red region. The Fe3O4 and Fe3O4: Yb3+, Er3+ NPs showed hyperthermic behavior for an externally applied AC magnetic field, observing that the introduction of Yb3+ and Er3+ induced a temperature increase of 34.4% in optimal conditions with respect to the non–doped Fe3O4 with a reduction in saturation magnetization of 7.8%. These observations suggest that Fe3O4: Yb3+, Er3+ NPs turns out to be an important candidate in biomedical applications for simultaneous optical imaging and hyperthermic therapy.