Luminescent Red Emitting Magnetic Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ Nanocomposite: Heat Ability in AC Magnetic Field and Cell Viability in HCT116 Cell Lines

Red-emitting magnetic Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocomposite was synthesized to study its heat generation ability under the influence of alternating magnetic fields. The crystalline structure of the Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocomposite were confirmed and determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of polyethylene glycol, from the solvent, adhered to the surface of the nanoparticles. From the TEM images, it is suggested that Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ sample contains spherical (< 10 nm) and cubic (~100 nm) shaped particles. Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) analysis revealed the superparamagnetic nature of the sample with sufficient saturation magnetization (Ms) values and low coercivity (Hc) values. The samples were subjected to an alternating magnetic field showing efficient heat generation by the nanoparticles and the nanocomposites viz. 3.05 × 106 and 4.58 × 106 kAm–1 s–1. The Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocomposite also showed strong red emission under excitation at 300 nm. The prepared nanocomposite was found to have high viability in HCT116 colon cancer cell lines. Therefore, Fe3O4@GdVO4:Eu3+ magnetic luminescent nanocomposite may be useful for optical imaging and hyperthermia applications.