Observation of magnetic vortex configuration in non-stoichiometric Fe3O4 nanospheres

Theoretical and micromagnetic simulation studies of magnetic nanospheres with vortex configurations suggest that such nanostructured materials have technological advantages over conventional nanosystems for applications based on high-power-rate absorption and subsequent emission. However, full experimental evidence of magnetic vortex configurations in spheres of submicrometer size is still lacking. Here, we report the microwave irradiation fabrication of Fe3O4 nanospheres and establish their magnetic vortex configuration based on experimental results, theoretical analysis, and micromagnetic simulations. Detailed magnetic and electrical measurements, together with Mössbauer spectroscopy data, provide evidence of a loss of stoichiometry in vortex nanospheres owing to the presence of a surface oxide layer, defects, and a higher concentration of cation vacancies. The results indicate that the magnetic vortex spin configuration can be established in bulk spherical magnetite materials. This study provides crucial information that can aid the synthesis of magnetic nanospheres with magnetically tailored properties; consequently, they may be promising candidates for future technological applications based on three-dimensional magnetic vortex structures

Engineering shape anisotropy of Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia

The use of microwave-assisted synthesis (in water) of a-Fe2O3 nanomaterials followed by their transformation onto iron oxide Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles encoding well-defined sizes and shapes [nanorings (NRs) and nanotubes (NTs)] is henceforth described. The impact of experimental variables such as concentration of reactants, volume of solvent employed, and reaction times/temperatures during the shape-controlled synthesis revealed that the key factor that gated generation of morphologically diverse nanoparticles was associated to the initial concentration of phosphate anions employed in the reactant mixture. All the nanomaterials presented were fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The hollow nanoparticles that expressed the most promising magnetic responses, NTs and NRs, were further tested in terms of efficiencies in controlling the magnetic hyperthermia, in view of their possible use for biomedical applications, supported by their excellent viability as screened by in vitro cytotoxicity tests. These systems NTs and NRs expressed very good magneto-hyperthermia properties, results that were further validated by micromagnetic simulations. The observed specific absorption rate (SAR) and intrinsic loss power of the NRs and NTs peaked the values of 340 W/g and 2.45 nH m2 kg-1 (NRs) and 465 W/g and 3.3 nH m2 kg-1 (NTs), respectively, at the maximum clinical field 450 Oe and under a frequency of 107 kHz and are the highest values among those reported so far in the hollow iron-oxide family. The higher SAR in NTs accounts the importance of magnetic shape anisotropy, which is well-predicted by the modified dynamic hysteresis (ß-MDH) theoretical model

Ferrites as an alternative source of renewable energy for hydroelectric cell

There are many conventional ways of producing energy at large scales such as fossil fuels, hydroelectric power station, wind energy, solar cell plants, marine energy, etc., but most of these require bulky plantation, huge manpower, wide land occupation and are non-portable and expensive to handle too. In the twenty-first century, there is still a huge gap between worldwide energy supply and its demand. The advances in the technology sector have also increased the consumption of energy, but the sources of generating the renewable energy remain limited. In order to account for these problems in recent years, several methods have been adopted and a significant research in this direction has been made by the invention of the hydroelectric cell by Dr. R. K. Kotnala’s group in 2016. Instead of using the magnetic character in the ferrite nanostructures, these nanomaterials were first time effectively exploited for direct energy harvesting application by using their capability to dissociate the absorbed water molecules on its porous surface. This allows the production of ions, which is then followed by the charge transfer of hydronium, hydroxyl and hydrogen ions between the electrodes of the ferrite nanostructures and results in the generation of an electric current across the circuit. The concept of the hydroelectric cell is new, and these cells are easily portable, inexpensive, biodegradable and eco-friendly in nature. This chapter provides an insight on the concept of spinel ferrite nanostructures for the application in the hydroelectric cell.Instituto de Física (IF

Energy evolution, stabilization, and mechanotransducer properties of Fe3O4 vortex nanorings and nanodisks

Recent reports on spin structures produced in nanomaterials due to confinement of spins imposed by geometrical restrictions are at the center of rising scientific interest. Topological curling magnetic structures (vortices) exhibit unique properties, regarding the energy profile, good colloidal stability in suspensions, manipulation under a low-frequency magnetic field, and torque exertion. The last property provides the potential to mechanically eradicate cancer cells via magnetomechanical actuation using remote ac magnetic fields. Here, we study, theoretically and by micromagnetic simulations, the magnetic energy evolutions for vortex nanosystems, i.e., Fe3O4 nanodisks (NDs) and nanorings (NRs). The obtained results for magnetic energy, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetization reversal confirm that the vortex-domain structure in NRs exhibits better stability and avoids agglomeration in solution, owing to the presence of a central hole, whereas the presence of a vortex core in NDs induces magnetic remanence. Although NDs are found to exert slightly higher torques than NRs, this weakness can be compensated for by a small increase (i.e., approximately equals 20%) in the amplitude of the applied field. Our results provide evidence of the magnetic stability of the curling ground states in NRs and open the possibility of applying these systems to magnetomechanical actuation on single cells for therapeutics in biomedicine, such as cancer-cell destruction by low-frequency torque transduction.G.N. is grateful to the Brazilian funding agency CAPES and PPGF-UFMA for providing a doctorate fellowship. S.K.S. is grateful to PPGF-UFMA for support in this project. J.A.H.C. thanks CNPq and FAPDF for financial support. J.C.D. thanks ANID/Fondecyt Grant No. 1200782 for financial support. G.F.G. acknowledges partial financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Project No. PID2019-106947RB-C21).Peer reviewe

Development of a Ratiometric Tension Sensor Exclusively Responding to Integrin Tension Magnitude in Live Cells

Integrin tensions are critical for cell mechanotransduction. By converting force to fluorescence, molecular tension sensors image integrin tensions in live cells with a high resolution. However, the fluorescence signal intensity results collectively from integrin tension magnitude, tension dwell time, integrin density, sensor accessibility, and so forth, making it highly challenging to specifically monitor the molecular force level of integrin tensions. Here, a ratiometric tension sensor (RTS) was developed to exclusively monitor the integrin tension magnitude. The RTS consists of two tension-sensing units that are coupled in series and always subject to the same integrin tension. These two units are activated by tension to fluoresce in separate spectra and with different activation rates. The ratio of their activation probabilities, reported by fluorescence ratiometric measurement, is solely determined by the local integrin tension magnitude. RTS responded sensitively to the variation of integrin tension magnitude in platelets and focal adhesions due to different cell plating times, actomyosin inhibition, or vinculin knockout. At last, RTS confirmed that integrin tension magnitude in platelets and focal adhesions decreases monotonically with the substrate rigidity, verifying the rigidity dependence of integrin tensions in live cells and suggesting that integrin tension magnitude could be a key biomechanical factor in cell rigidity sensing