A Novel Route for Preparing Highly Stable Fe3O4 Fluid with Poly(Acrylic Acid) as Phase Transfer Ligand

Highly stable Fe3O4 liquid was synthesized by thermal decomposition using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as a phase transfer ligand. The crystalline structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the as-prepared samples were thoroughly characterized. Results demonstrated that the magnetic Fe3O4 nanomaterial was formed in liquid phase with a spinel single-phase structure, average size of 8-13 nm, and high saturation magnetization (up to 75 emu/g). The PAA-capped Fe3O4 nanoparticles displayed high stability over a wide pH range (from 4 to 7) in 300 mM salt solution. More importantly, the heat-generating capacity of the nanoparticle systems was quantified at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 70.22 W/g, which is 35% higher than magnetic nanoparticles coated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). These findings suggest the potential application of PAA-coated magnetic nanoparticles in magnetic hyperthermia.