THE EFFECT OF POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG) COATING ON THEMAGNETO-STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND COLLOIDAL STABILITY OFCo0.8Mg0.2Fe2O4 NANOPARTICLES FOR POTENTIAL BIOMEDICALAPPLICATIONS (original) (raw)

The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating on the magneto-structural properties and colloidal stability of Co0.8Mg0.2Fe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was studied with their potential biomedical applications in mind using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD,Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and zeta potential measurements. Co0.8Mg0.2Fe2 MNPs were synthesized by a twostep chemical method including solution combustion synthesis followed by functionalisation with PEG. The XRD patterns indicate that the crystalline single phase cubic spinel structure was retained after PEG coating. Also, after PEG coating, the crystallite size (from Scherrer formula) increases from 50 to 56 nm. Magnetic measurements of both coated and uncoated particles reveal the ferrimagnetic nature at room temperature with the PEG coated sample recording a higher magnetic moment. The resulting PEG coated particles form a more stable suspension in aqueous environ...