Temperature profile in nanomagnet based hyperthermia devices – NanoHype

Magnetic hyperthermia consists in converting electromagnetic power into heat by applying an external AC magnetic field to an assembly of magnetic nanoparticles. A very localized temperature rise is then observed, which can be useful in medicine or chemistry, especially catalysis. However, although very promising, this technique is not mature yet and, in order to be developed and extended, some fundamental aspects must be clarified. In particular, the role of nanoparticle concentration and thereby of the dipolar interaction has to be investigated in a systematic way. The NanoHype project implements a global approach, from multiscale theory to innovative experiments, aiming at understanding how to control and optimize the temperature profile within magnetic nanoparticle assemblies of different shapes and concentrations. To achieve these goals, the consortium gathers the complementary skills of 4 partners from academia and industry. PROMES coordinates the project and is in charge of the theoretical, analytical and semi-analytical developments. MONARIS provides the samples and ensures their high-quality and structural characterization. ICMPE is in charge of the numerical Monte Carlo and micromagnetic simulations as well as the AC magnetic susceptibility measurements. Finally, KAPTEOS SAS, a high-tech company specialized in electromagnetic measurements in extreme environments, provides an original experimental device for this field of application in order to obtain the specific absorption rate of the samples, resolved both time and spatially resolved. By putting together in a synergetic way these fields of expertise, NanoHype brings to the community a fine understanding of magnetic hyperthermia processes, from the nanoscale to the assembly scale, with measurements allowing an unprecedented temporal resolution. Our ultimate goal is to build robust and useful models for future developments in hyperthermia by relying on accurate and original measurement methods.