Synthesis, characterization and in vitro evaluation of divalent ion release from stable NiFe2O4, ZnFe2O4 and core-shell ZnFe2O4@NiFe2O4 nanoparticles

• Published in: Ceramics international Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 3528 - 3533
• Main Authors: Andjelković, Ljubica, Jeremić, Dejan, Milenković, Milica R., Radosavljević, Jelena, Vulić, Predrag, Pavlović, Vladimir, Manojlović, Dragan, Nikolić, Aleksandar S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.02.2020
• Subjects: Bimagnetic core-shell nanoparticles; Ferrites; Ni2+ and Zn2+ leakage; Ferrites; Bimagnetic core-shell nanoparticles; Ni2+ and Zn2+ leakage
• ISSN: 0272-8842; 1873-3956
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.10.068

A simple organic-phase synthesis process was used to produce bare NiFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4 and core-shell ZnFe2O4@NiFe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles. X-ray powder diffractograms for all investigated powders show characteristic peaks of a spinel cubic structure without a secondary phase. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated the presence of nanoparticles that are smaller than 20 nm. The release of divalent ions (Ni2+ and Zn2+) from synthesized nanoparticles that were dispersed in saline solution, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and human serum, as determined by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method, was lower than 2 wt %. These results demonstrate the stability of the investigated nanoparticles in biologically relevant media and exclude the toxicity of Ni2+ and Zn2+ due to metal ion release, thereby opening a broad range of (bio)medical applications.