Formation of magnetic aluminium oxyhydroxide nanorods and use for hyperthermal effects

In the present work, we show that a porous alumina template can easily be filled with magnetic nanoparticles and then be sealed by a hot water treatment (by forming an aluminium oxyhydroxide (AlOOH) sealant layer). The porous layer then can be separated from the substrate by an etch to form free magnetic AlOOH nano-capsules. The process allows for a straightforward and highly defined size control of the magnetic units and can easily be scaled up. Furthermore, as AlOOH is biocompatible and has been used as a drug adjuvant for human use, the nanorod shaped capsules are highly promising for biomedical applications such as hyperthermal effects (heating in alternating magnetic fields).