Open Conference Systems, DDAYS LAC 2024 Main Conference

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Spherical Clusters of Magnetic Monodomain Nanoparticles: Effects of Dipolar Interactions on Hysteresis Loops
Mauro Alan Pérsico, Gustavo Pablo Saracco, Marisa Alejandra Bab

Building: Cero Infinito
Room: Posters hall
Date: 2024-12-12 02:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Last modified: 2024-11-19

Abstract


The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in hyperthermia, where they locally increase temperature under the application of oscillating (AC) magnetic fields, has become a significant topic in nanomedicine. The heating performance of MNPs and their assemblies is closely related to the area of the hysteresis loops they produce. This work presents a theoretical study of nanoclusters composed of spherical, uniaxial, monodisperse MNPs that exhibit single magnetic domains and rotate coherently with the applied field. The systems are modeled using the Stoner-Wohlfarth model, accounting for dipolar interactions, and the magnetic moments of the nanoparticles are treated under the macrospin approximation. Additionally, Néel relaxation is considered, assuming that the MNPs are immobilized in a solid gel, thus forming a ferrogel. The relevance of these basic theoretical investigations lies in their assistance in interpreting experimental data, including the effects of MNP spatial distribution and the orientation of their anisotropy axes. The nanoclusters are generated by randomly distributing the MNPs within a compact spherical region, with the anisotropy axes considered either parallel or random, mimicking clusters of MNPs known as nanoflowers with either crystallographically oriented or random axes, respectively. These nanoflowers are isotropically expanded to reduce their density—and therefore the strength of dipolar interactions—without affecting the geometrical distributions. The results demonstrate a strong dependence of coercive field, remanence, and hysteresis loop area on the MNP distributions. Moreover, the dispersion of the data decreases with increasing temperature. This behavior is discussed in terms of the interplay between dipolar interactions, anisotropy, the applied magnetic field, and thermal fluctuations, highlighting the differences between individual and collective behaviors.