Among iron oxide phases, magnetite (Fe3O4) is often the preferred one for nanotechnological and biomedical applications because of its high saturation magnetization and low toxicity. Although there are several synthetic routes that attempt to reach magnetite nanoparticles (NPs), they are usually referred as “IONPs” (iron oxide NPs) due to the great difficulty in obtaining the monophasic and stoichiometric Fe3O4 phase. Added to this problem is the common increase of size/shape polydispersity when larger NPs (D > 20 nm) are synthesized. An unequivocal correlation between a nanomaterial and its properties can only be achieved by the production of highly homogeneous systems, which, in turn, is only possible by the continuous improvement of synthesis methods. There is no doubt that solving the compositional heterogeneity of IONPs while keeping them monodisperse remains a challenge for synthetic chemistry. Herein, we present a methodical optimization of the iron oleate decomposition method to obtain Fe3O4 single nanocrystals without any trace of secondary phases and with no need of postsynthetic treatment. The average dimension of the NPs, ranging from 20 to 40 nm, has been tailored by adjusting the total volume and the boiling point of the reaction mixture. Mössbauer spectroscopy and DC magnetometry have revealed that the NPs present a perfectly stoichiometric Fe3O4 phase. The high saturation magnetization (93 (2) A·m2/kg at RT) and the extremely sharp Verwey transition (at around 120 K) shown by these NPs have no precedent. Moreover, the synthesis method has been refined to obtain NPs with octahedral morphology and suitable magnetic anisotropy, which significantly improves the magnetic hyperthemia performance. The heating power of properly PEGylated nano-octahedrons has been investigated by AC magnetometry, confirming that the NPs present negligible dipolar interactions, which leads to an outstanding magnetothermal efficiency that does not change when the NPs are dispersed in environments with high viscosity and ionic strength. Additionally, the heat production of the NPs within physiological media has been directly measured by calorimetry under clinically safe conditions, reasserting the excellent adequacy of the system for hyperthermia therapies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such bulklike magnetite NPs (with minimal size/shape polydispersity, minor agglomeration, and exceptional heating power) are chemically synthesized.

The currently existing magnetic hyperthermia treatments usually need to employ very large doses of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and/or excessively high excitation conditions ( H × f > 10 10 A/m s) to reach the therapeutic temperature range that triggers cancer cell death. To make this anticancer therapy truly minimally invasive, it is crucial the development of improved chemical routes that give rise to monodisperse MNPs with high saturation magnetization and negligible dipolar interactions. Herein, we present an innovative chemical route to synthesize Zn-doped magnetite NPs based on the thermolysis of two kinds of organometallic precursors: (i) a mixture of two monometallic oleates (FeOl + ZnOl), and (ii) a bimetallic iron-zinc oleate (Fe 3– y Zn y Ol). These approaches have allowed tailoring the size (10–50 nm), morphology (spherical, cubic, and cuboctahedral), and zinc content (Zn x Fe 3– x O 4 , 0.05 < x < 0.25) of MNPs with high saturation magnetization (≥90 Am 2 /kg at RT). The oxidation state and the local symmetry of Zn 2+ and Fe 2+/3+ cations have been investigated by means of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, while the Fe center distribution and vacancies within the ferrite lattice have been examined in detail through Mössbauer spectroscopy, which has led to an accurate determination of the stoichiometry in each sample. To achieve good biocompatibility and colloidal stability in physiological conditions, the Zn x Fe 3– x O 4 NPs have been coated with high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The magnetothermal efficiency of Zn x Fe 3– x O 4 @PEG samples has been systematically analyzed in terms of composition, size, and morphology, making use of the latest-generation AC magnetometer that is able to reach 90 mT. The heating capacity of Zn 0.06 Fe 2.9 4 O 4 cuboctahedrons of 25 nm reaches a maximum value of 3652 W/g (at 40 kA/m and 605 kHz), but most importantly, they reach a highly satisfactory value (600 W/g) under strict safety excitation conditions (at 36 kA/m and 125 kHz). Additionally, the excellent heating power of the system is kept identical both immobilized in agar and in the cellular environment, proving the great potential and reliability of this platform for magnetic hyperthermia therapies.

Nanosystems that simultaneously contain fluorescent and magnetic modules can offer decisive advantages in the development of new biomedical approaches. A biomaterial that enables multimodal imaging and contains highly efficient nanoheaters together with an intrinsic temperature sensor would become an archetypical theranostic agent. In this work, we have designed a magneto-luminescent system based on Fe3O4 NPs with large heating power and thermosensitive rhodamine (Rh) fluorophores that exhibits the ability to self-monitor the hyperthermia degree. Three samples composed of highly homogeneous Fe3O4 NPs of ∼25 nm and different morphologies (cuboctahedrons, octahedrons, and irregular truncated-octahedrons) have been finely synthesized. These NPs have been thoroughly studied in order to choose the most efficient inorganic core for magnetic hyperthermia under clinically safe radiofrequency. Surface functionalization of selected Fe3O4 NPs has been carried out using fluorescent copolymers composed of PMAO, PEG and Rh. Copolymers with distinct PEG tail lengths (5–20 kDa) and different Rh percentages (5, 10, and 25%) have been synthesized, finding out that the copolymer with 20 kDa PEG and 10% Rh provides the best coating for an efficient fluorescence with minimal aggregation effects. The optimized Fe3O4@Rh system offers very suitable fluorescence thermosensitivity in the therapeutic hyperthermia range. Additionally, this sample presents good biocompatibility and displays an excellent heating capacity within the clinical safety limits of the AC field (≈ 1000 W/g at 142 kHz and 44 mT), which has been confirmed by both calorimetry and AC magnetometry. Thus, the current work opens up promising avenues toward next-generation medical technologies.

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