Frequency Dependence of Initial Heat Generation in Granular Magnetite Nanoparticles

The frequency dependence of heat generation in granular magnetite nanoparticles was studied using vibrating sample magnetometry and the nanoTherics Magnetherm™ hyperthermia testing system. First, the particle size and its distribution were obtained by fitting the M-H curve to the classical Langevin function weight-averaged with a modified log-normal size distribution function. Next, the ac power dissipation model for monodispersed nanoparticles was extended to the polydispersed case, and the volumetric heating rate was predicted as a function of the frequency of the applied field under the assumption of the Néel relaxation mechanism. Finally, the temperature increase caused by the application of an ac magnetic field was measured experimentally at frequencies of 50, 112, 261, 335, 474 and 523 kHz, with the root-mean-squared field fixed to 250 Oe, and the results were compared with those from theoretical calculation. The frequency dependence of the initial heating rates was found to be in good agreement with the results predicted by using the polydispersed power dissipation model.