Preparation and Structural and Magnetic Characterizations of Hydroxyapatite/Zinc Ferrite Composite Nanoparticles for Future Cancer Treatment

Abstract

A promising composite of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) and bioactive hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 ;HAp) has expected to potential for future bone reinforcing formation. In present study, zinc ferrite and hydroxyapatite composite was prepared by solid state reaction route for easier control of structural and magnetic characteristics and with low cost. Hydroxyapatite powder was synthesized by precipitation method from chicken eggshell. Mixed powders with varying ZnFe2O4/HAp weight ratios from 2-10 wt% were milled together and uniaxially pressed and then sintered at 1200 oC for 3 hours. The XRD results showing no other phases of composite with only HAp and ZnFe2O4 phases were identified, indicating high stability of HAp property. Phase fractions of ZnFe2O4 were found to increase from 10.8 to 18.73 wt% with increasing content of ZnFe2O4. FT-IR results of ZnFe2O4/HAp composite were only revealed vibration bands of standard HAp phase. This may due to the overlapping of the ZnFe2O4 vibrational bands with HAp bands. However, their intense variations observed in HAp vibrational bands indicated the interaction between ZnFe2O4 and HAp. The surface morphology of these ZnFe2O4/HAp composite exhibited primary grain in nano scale with enhanced pore structure and Interconnectivity when ZnFe2O4 weight ratios increased; indicating high surface area for cell attachment and better good cell growth and differentiation. The higher saturation magnetization as well as higher super paramagnetic behavior could be easily altered by increasing ZnFe2O4 content in the composite.