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Grant support

S.C. acknowledges the FCT grant, ref. 2021.08212.BD. F.J.F-.A. acknowledges the Formacion de Profesorado Universitario programme, ref. FPU22/04365. S.M.G. acknowledges the FCT grant, ref. 2024.01570.BD. IST authors acknowledge FCT (Portugal) support through contracts UIDB/04349/2020 and the National Infrastructure Roadmap, LTHMFL-NECL, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022096. A.A. acknowledges FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia for her contract DL57/2016 (ref. DL 57/2016/CP1454/CT0017) with DOI: 10.54499/DL57/2016/CP1454/CT0017 (10.54499/DL57/2016/CP1454/CT0017) and Projects H2FlexiPEC's (ref. 2022.07332.PTDC) with DOI: 10.54499/2022.07332.PTDC (10.54499/2022.07332.PTDC); IFIMUP-UIDB/04968/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/04968/2020), UIDB/04968/2021 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/04968/2021), LapMET-LA/P/0095/2020 DOI (10.54499/LA/P/0095/2020); 2024.00223.CERN; COST Action NETPORE (CA20126)/OC-2020-1-24842. C.T.d.S. acknowledges the program Atraccion de Talento (Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid), ref. 2020-T1/IND-19889, and Agencia Estatal de Investigacion for the project PID2022-141080OB-C22.

Analysis of institutional authors

Fernández-Alonso, Francisco JavierAuthorCortés-Llanos, BelénAuthorTorres-Costa, VicenteAuthorSilvan, Miguel Jose MansoAuthor

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Early Access

Anisotropic Porous Iron-Based Nanoparticles through Two-Step Hydrothermal and Hydrogen-Based Reduction: Enhanced Magnetic Performance for Potential Biomedical Applications

Publicated to:Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces. 17 (11): 16602-16615 - 2025-03-07 17(11), DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c21063

Authors: Caspani S; Fernández-Alonso FJ; Gonçalves SM; Martín-Morales C; Cortes-Llanos B; Vieira BJC; Waerenborgh JCB; Pereira LCJ; Apolinario A; Araújo JP; Gómez-Gaviro MV; Torres-Costa V; Manso Silván MJ; de Sousa CT

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Abstract

Iron-based nanoparticles have emerged as promising candidates for diverse biomedical applications, including cell separation, targeted drug delivery, hyperthermia therapy, and magnetic resonance imaging. This study reports the scalable synthesis of high-magnetization iron-based nanoparticles with controlled anisotropic shapes, achieved via a two-step process. Hematite nanoparticles, featuring nanocube, nanoellipse, and nanoneedle morphologies, were synthesized through the hydrolysis of ferric chloride in the presence of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, with the morphology precisely tuned by adjusting reagent concentrations. These hematite nanoparticles were subsequently reduced in a hydrogen-based direct reduction at 480 degrees C, yielding iron-magnetite nanocomposites that retained their anisotropic shapes, exhibited significant porosity, and achieved an exceptional saturation magnetization of 207 emu/g - approximately 150% higher than conventional magnetite nanoparticles. Comprehensive characterization via SQUID magnetometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy, Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data, and XPS for surface analysis confirmed the formation of metallic iron nanoparticles covered by a magnetite shell. Biocompatibility studies demonstrated the biocompatibility of these nanoparticles across a wide concentration range, underscoring their suitability for biomedical applications.

Keywords

Alpha-fe2o3 nanoparticlesAnisotropyBiocompatibilitBiocompatibilityChemical reductionCytotoxicityGaseous reductionHematiteHydrothermalIron-based nanoparticlesMechanismOxide nanoparticlesParameterParticlesShapeSize

Quality index

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-05-30:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 7.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 7 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 3.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 3 (Altmetric).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Portugal.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (de Sousa, Celia Tavares).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been de Sousa, Celia Tavares.