(315c) Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon Dots Incorporated in Magnetite Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Potential Targeted Brain Cancer Therapy: In-Vitro Study

Surface modification of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) with carbon dots (CDs) offers a promising strategy for enhancing their performance in biomedical applications, particularly due to the exceptional biocompatibility and functional versatility of CDs. In this study, CDs were successfully coated onto Fe₃O₄ NPs to form a composite nanostructure (CDs– Fe₃O₄ NPs) intended for targeted brain cancer therapy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the unmodified Fe₃O₄ NPs possess a rough and agglomerated morphology, which was subsequently improved through surface coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of CDs onto the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle surface, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) verified the presence of functional groups associated with both components. Magnetic characterization using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) demonstrated a high saturation magnetization value of 51.362 emu/g, indicative of the enhanced magnetic response attributed to the greater occupancy of Fe²⁺ ions within the crystal lattice. Zeta potential measurements revealed surface charge values of -7.64 mV (Fe₃O₄ NPs), -0.5754 mV (CDs), and -3.881 mV (CDs– Fe₃O₄ NPs), confirming colloidal stability in aqueous dispersion. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis showed a value of 58.6 m²/g, further supporting their potential for surface-mediated interactions. In vitro anticancer assays demonstrated that the CDs-Fe₃O₄ NPs effectively inhibited the growth of MG-U87 glioblastoma cells. Additionally, the nanocomposite exhibited minimal cytotoxicity toward osteoblast cells, underscoring its biocompatibility and potential safety for in vivo applications. The acidic microenvironment of cancer cells enables pH-responsive drug delivery using Fe₃O₄ NPs, which release Fe²⁺ / Fe³⁺ ions that generate reactive oxygen species and induce cancer cell death through Fenton reactions. Notably, free Fe²⁺ ions produce cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals more efficiently than surface-bound Fe²⁺ on nanoparticles. Overall, the synthesized CDs-Fe₃O₄ NPs show strong promise as multifunctional agents for targeted brain cancer therapy and broader biomedical use.