Zn and Zr co-doped M-type strontium hexaferrite: Synthesis, characterization and hyperthermia application

In the present study, hard ferromagnetic (M-type strontium hexaferrite) SrFe12O19 was co-doped by Zn and Zr for magnetic hyperthermia applications. As a result of the high concentration of single domain SrFe12O19 nanoparticles (suspended in the ferrofluid), they found a large hydrodynamic diameter, which caused a long-time Brownian relaxation under the AC magnetic field. On the other hand, increasing the Zn-Zr content (low concentration of SrFe12O19) led to a drop in anisotropy, which coincided with a short-time N'eel relaxation. All of the substituted samples with a multi-disperse state in ferrofluid exhibited an almost equal amount of the N'eel and Brownian effects. Consequently, the magnetic saturation (M-s) was considered as the dominant factor in the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the substituted samples. Transformation to the mono-disperse state was followed by the decrease of the Brownian relaxation time and hence the increase of the SAR. The interesting point in mono-disperse state was the heat generation of pure SrFe12O19 under the AC magnetic field as a result of the decrement of the Brownian relaxation time.