Synthesis, characterization and surface modification of ZnCrFeO4 nanoparticles

The aim of this research was to investigate zinc chromium ferrite (ZnCrFeO4) nanoparticles, synthesized using the sol gel technique with nanoparticle size controlled through a two-stage annealing process. Stage one was a low temperature firing which produced low quality nanocrystals with an average size of 15 nm. This was followed by a second firing stage at high temperature which enhanced the crystal quality. The nanoparticles were then coated with a bio-compatible shell to form a stable suspension in the ferrofluid carrier. The resulting nanoparticles were found by electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies to have excellent crystal quality. The average size was 8.5 nm. Preliminary cell culture studies indicated the ZnCrFeO4 nanoparticles were non-toxic. The relatively high measured value of the relaxivity r2 showed that the nanoparticle coating was effective in substantially reducing aggregation and enhancing the properties of the nanoparticles associated with contrast enhancement in MRI.