Inductive Heating Behavior of Copper Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles

This study investigates the inductive heating behavior of CuFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for potential application in magnetic hyperthermia. CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel autocombustion method and subjected to annealing at 400°C and 800°C to assess the effect of thermal treatment on their structural and magnetic properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a phase transition from the cubic spinel structure (Fd3m) in the as-prepared samples to a tetragonal phase (I41/amd) after annealing, with particle sizes ranging from 20 to 30 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed spherical morphology and uniform particle distribution, while vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) measurements showed that annealing significantly influenced the saturation magnetization and coercivity, key parameters for heating performance. Specific absorption rate (SAR) and intrinsic loss power (ILP), estimated using Box-Lucas and Newton cooling models, demonstrated that the nanoparticles maintained strong heating efficiency across thermal treatments, with SAR values of ~30–32 W/g. The results suggest that CuFe2O4 nanoparticles are promising candidates for magnetically guided hyperthermia applications, with tunable properties that can be optimized for clinical readiness.