Controlled synthesis of L-cysteine coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles for drug delivery

Abstract In the present work, we reported a facile synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles in the presence of L -cysteine (Lys). The morphology and size of samples were characterized by SEM and TEM. The successful coating of Lys on the surface of CoFe 2 O 4 was confirmed by XRD, XPS and TGA. The investigation of magnetic properties showed that both bare CoFe 2 O 4 and Lys-coated CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles exhibited room-temperature superparamagnetic behavior. The results of MTT experiments revealed insignificant cytotoxicity of Lys-coated CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles even after 24 h incubation. More importantly, Lys-coated CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles displayed an excellent drug loading capacity and a pH-sensitive drug release behavior. In summary, the prepared Lys-coated CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles demonstrated a promising application potential in controlled drug delivery.