Superparamagnetic calcium ferrite nanoparticles synthesized using a simple sol-gel method for targeted drug delivery.

The calcium ferrite nano-particles (CaFe2O4 NPs) were synthesized using a sol-gel method for targeted drug delivery application. The proposed nano-particles were initially prepared by mixing calcium and iron nitrates that were added with citric acid in order to prevent agglomeration and subsequently calcined at a temperature of 550°C to obtain small particle size. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by using an XRD (X-ray diffraction), which revealed the configuration of orthorhombic structures of the CaFe2O4 nano-particles. A crystallite size of ~13.59 nm was obtained using a Scherer's formula. Magnetic analysis using a VSM (Vibrating Sample Magnetometer analysis), revealed that the synthesized particles exhibited super-paramagnetic behavior having magnetization saturation of approximately 88.3emu/g. Detailed observation via the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the calcium ferrite nano-particles were spherical in shape.